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#3 VAR disallows a goal in La Liga for the first time
It was a busy day in the VAR office, as the video assistant was called upon twice in the game. Barcelona had both decisions going their way. Firstly, Aubameyang's second goal of the game was checked for offside, but was allowed to stand.
Valencia thought they had equalised just three minutes after Barcelona's opener following Ter Stegen deflecting Gaya's cross into his own net. However, the defender was ruled to be offside.
Just moments before the half-time whistle, Soler's goal was ruled out following an intervention from VAR. Replays showed that the ball had rolled out of play when Gaya tackled Sergino Dest to win the ball back. The tackle had kickstarted the move that led to the goal as the visitors breathed a huge sigh of relief.
It was the first time in the history of La Liga that VAR ruled out a goal.
#2 The Blaugrana make their possession count
Xavi's men have been criticised for their wastefulness in recent fixtures. They scored just once from their 21 shots in the Europa League knockout playoffs first leg against Napoli, recording just five shots on target.
They improved on their finishing, and had more shots on target against Valencia. Of their seven attempted shots, six were on target. They had a 100% shot conversion rate in the first half, scoring from their first three shots on goal.
#1 Aubameyang opens Blaugrana account in style
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was signed by Barcelona in the January transfer window to bolster their attack. It took the player four games across competitions, but he finally found his shooting boots for the club.
He bagged a first-half brace, and was lucky to add a third to his tally. Pedri, who came on as a second-half substitute, unleashed a vicious long-range strike with his first touch of the game. The ball deflected off the back of the Gabonese striker, and was awarded to him after initially being awarded to the Spaniard.
His first goal meant Aubameyang became only the fourth player to score in La Liga (3), Premier League (68), Bundesliga (98) and Ligue 1 (41).
