A lot of goal and a lot of controversy
Perfectly labeled what Lluís Flaquer experienced in this first half with that phrase. The goals were scored by an effective, pragmatic Barça. No frills. The controversy, the 22 protagonists.
The first assault was full of friction, something that heated the atmosphere in Mestalla. The climax of the disagreement with Del Cerro Grande was reached, by the Valencian side, shortly before the break. Carlos Soler beat Ter Stegen with an acrobatic shot, but the VAR did not consider it valid because Gayà, at the start of the play, had controlled beyond the touchline. What those of Bordalás claimed was a penalty from Jordi Albabut everything was invalidated by that starting point.
Beyond controversy, Xavi’s team finally found bite in attack. And he did it through aubameyang. The Gabonese, banished from Arsenal, signed a double to silence Mestalla. But it was De Jong who opened the can.