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Barcelona overcame Valencia 3-1 at the Camp Nou in La Liga for only their second league win in six games. Ansu Fati, Memphis Depay and Philippe Coutinho scored for the Blaugrana, cancelling out Jose Gaya's fifth-minute opener for the Bats.
Gaya produced a thumping volley from outside the box to fire the visitors in front. But their lead lasted only seven minutes as Fati restored parity for Ronald Koeman's side with a stunning effort from range.
Depay then dispatched a penalty to put the hosts in front after Gaya caught Fati inside the box, Supersub Coutinho put the result of the game beyond doubt in the 85th minute.
Valencia never recovered after relinquishing their early lead, but saw an effort come off the post in the second half through Carlos Soler. Barcelona, meanwhile, bounced back from defeat to Atletico Madrid. They now turn their attention towards their important Champions League game with Dynamo Kyiv on Wednesday.
On that note, here's a look at the five talking points from the game:
#5 Gaya stunner puts Valencia in front
Valencia love to play at the Camp Nou, having caused Barcelona plenty of troubles in the past. So it wasn't surprising to see them steal a march over their decorated rivals, with the quality of their strike being truly breathtaking.
As the Blaugrana failed to clear their lines from a corner, Gaya pounced on a loose ball from 25 yards out. He hammered his effort into the bottom-left corner and beyond Ter Stegen to put the visitors in front.
It was a volley for the ages, putting the Bats in front with only five minutes gone. Barcelona were stung into action, and they would soon respond in kind, though.
#4 Barcelona respond quickly after falling behind
Sure enough, the Blaugrana mounted a quick and effortless comeback into the match. Ansu Fati, who only returned from a lengthy injury layoff towards the end of last month, restored parity with a sumptuous finish of his own.
Gaya's early strike had silenced the Camp Nou, but it seemed to have spurred Barcelona into action. The hosts quickly responded by keeping the ball and patiently working their way forward. And soon enough, they were level in the game too.
After cutting in from the left flank, Fati played a nice one-two with Depay before thumping home an unstoppable effort into the far post. That left Jasper Cillessen with no chance as Barcelona were back on level terms.
Just seven minutes after conceding, Ronald Koeman's side provided a swift and clinical response, which was noteworthy.
#3 Gaya goes from hero to villain
After scoring a truly awesome opening goal against Barcelona, Gaya appeared to have justified his inclusion in the Valencia starting XI. But his night quickly turned sour after conceding a penalty to the hosts, which shifted the initiative back in their favour.
About 34 minutes after his crowning moment in the match, Gaya was penalised for bringing down Fati inside the box. He went into the books, and the match official had no choice but to point to the spot.
The in-form Depay stepped up and made no mistake, powering home his effort into the top-right corner as Cillessen stayed rooted to his spot. And just like that, the Blaugrana were ahead 2-1 before half-time, and never relinquished the momentum.
Without the penalty, it would've made for an interesting second half had the sides gone into the break on level terms. Gaya, though, had other ideas.
#2 Coutinho eclipses Aguero in the battle of cameos
Sergio Aguero made his long-awaited Barcelona debut on the night, coming off the bench in the 87th minute for Sergino Dest. While it was a special occasion, he didn't have much time to mark it with anything special.
Watching the Argentine play for a club other than Manchester City was obviously strange, but the 34-year-old should get among the goals again.
However, on the night, Philippe Coutinho stole Aguero's thunder by scoring off the bench to effectively end the contest.
The Brazilian, coming at around the hour mark for Fati, got Barcelona's third of the night just five minutes from time. He latched onto a cut-back from Dest before slotting home from close range to make it 3-1, wrapping up the victory.
#1 Barcelona ease pressure on beleaguered Koeman
Ronald Koeman has been walking a tight rope for quite some time now. Patchy form and poor on-field results had brought the Dutchman under the scanner last month, with talks of a possible sack also doing the rounds.
Moreover, when former midfielder Miralem Pjanic revealed about his poor management that caused a rift between them, the fans were baying for his blood. But fast forward a few days, the Blaugrana produced an emphatic performance to see off a tough side in Valencia. That was only their second win in six league outings.
They're still in seventh place with 15 points from eight games, but have a game in hand. Barcelona now turn their attention towards Wednesday's Champions League clash with Dynamo Kyiv. Koeman can breathe easy, though; his job is safe for now.
