Feeling confident after a four-match unbeaten run in all competitions, Carlos Corberan stated ahead of this historic fixture that his side were going to “play their own way”.
However, that meant they failed to respect Barcelona’s quality from the very start, and subsequently let in four during a brutal first 25 minutes.
Just three of those had passed when Lamine Yamal cut in on his left foot and chipped a ball into the unmarked Frenkie de Jong, who controlled and prodded past Giorgi Mamardashvili from the centre of the area.
That disastrous start worsened for Valencia just five minutes later, with Alejandro Balde’s cross from the left guided in by Ferran Torres on the volley to give his side breathing room.
For the third, Yamal’s backheeled nutmeg on Yarek Gasiorowski set up Fermin Lopez to play in Raphinha, who confidently rounded Mamardashvili and finished into the empty net.
Another came just 10 minutes after that when Pau Cubarsi fired a long ball over the top for a completely unmarked Fermin to run onto and stroke home.
Valencia were perhaps unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty as the hosts’ potency waned, but things returned to business as usual in first-half stoppage time when Fermin followed up into the empty net after Raphinha had smashed against the crossbar – meaning Barcelona racked up a fifth goal for the fourth match of the last five.
Robert Lewandowski was visibly eager to get in on the act himself after the break, but he had to wait for a Valencia consolation – as Hugo Duro swept in Diego Lopez’s cross – to be introduced.
It subsequently took just six minutes for Fermin to play in the Pole, who took the ball wide and struck across goal inside the far post.
Perhaps all that was missing from Los Ches’ woeful defensive display was an own goal, but that was also forthcoming as Cesar Tarrega deflected Torres’ cross into his own net to make it seven.
Barcelona were happy to play out the rest of the match without incident, settling for a 7-1 win in which Fermin notched two goals and two assists – remarkably his first league goal contributions of the campaign.
The result emphatically halts a four-match winless LaLiga run which left Barcelona in third place following a commanding start to the campaign, and they will surely look forward to facing Valencia again in their Copa del Rey quarter-final in just 11 days time.