Barcelona Beats Valencia 2-1, Extends 39-Match La Liga Unbeaten Streak

Barcelona beat Valencia 2-1 and extended its run to 39 league games without a defeat in La Liga, after the club had been eliminated from the Champions League.

“The sight of Roberto De Zerbi pulling a black hood over his face as he stalked the touchline was a symbol of another night of self-destruction by Tottenham Hotspur”

BBC

Ernesto Valverde said after the 32nd league round match, "We don't pay much attention to the record after a week like this. We focus on the victory."

BBC

Valverde also described the aftermath of the European loss, saying, "We are a depressed environment and a club, and when you lose a match like this, everything collapses."

The match featured Luis Suárez opening the scoring in the 15th minute, Samuel Umtiti heading in the 2-0 in the 51st minute, and Valencia scoring from the penalty spot in the 87th minute.

The victory moved Barcelona to 82 points, 14 more than Atlético Madrid, and 17 more than Valencia, with the article noting the Catalans were facing their fans for the first time since the European setback.

Tottenham Hotspur’s relegation fight intensified as the BBC described another night of "self-destruction" that prolonged the club’s season agony.

The BBC said Roberto De Zerbi was "a picture of anguish" after Richarlison squandered a chance, and it described Mathys Tel going from hero to zero after 74 minutes when he conceded the penalty that allowed Leeds to equalise.

Cubadebate

De Zerbi told Match of the Day, "We didn't play a great game - we played a good game," and he added, "We made too many mistakes."

The BBC also said the door to survival that opened wider when West Ham United lost to Arsenal on Sunday "suddenly closed again" as Spurs missed the chance to open up a significant four-point advantage going into the final two games.

The article framed the immediate stakes around the Premier League relegation battle, noting that if West Ham can win at Newcastle United on Sunday evening, Spurs will be back in the bottom three when they travel to their next opponent.

As Tottenham’s season situation tightened, the BBC reported that De Zerbi believed pressure may have affected his players, saying, "maybe the pressure, the crucial game, the crucial part of the season, we suffered too much."

“The 20-year-old player has expressed frustration with his role at Tottenham this season and suffered another blow when he was not named in the Champions League squad against Borussia Dortmund”

Flashscore.fr

The BBC also quoted De Zerbi on Tel, stating, "He is young and is a talent. I will kiss him and hug him."

In parallel, Flashscore.fr reported that Mathys Tel, the 20-year-old player, expressed frustration with his role at Tottenham and was not named in the Champions League squad against Borussia Dortmund.

Flashscore.fr said Tel is now weighing his options, including the possibility of staying if his current coach’s tenure is nearing its end, while it also described the Spurs stance that he would stay beyond the transfer window.

The article further noted that many sources close to the club expected Thomas Frank to lose his job after the Dortmund match, but that the 2-0 victory could have bought him a reprieve.