Barcelona finished the 2025-26 season with a 3-1 defeat to Valencia after Valencia came back from a goal down. Barcelona had little to play for, and several key players were unavailable or rested, including Raphinha and Lamine Yamal, plus Pedri, Joan Garcia, and Pau Cubarsi. Hansi Flick gave Ronald Araujo a start, but he was replaced at half-time after appearing to take a knock. Marc Casado received late minutes ahead of a major summer and potential talks about his future after slipping down the pecking order. Despite the loss, Barcelona ended eight points clear of Real Madrid with a superior goal difference, and Flick emphasized that the real work begins for the next campaign. Lewandowski scored in his final appearance for Barcelona, ending his time with a goal.
"Barcelona's final game of the 2025-26 season ended in disappointment as Valencia came from a goal down to win 3-1 and hand Hansi Flick's side a sixth league defeat of the season. Unlike their opponents, the Catalans had nothing to play for and it showed. Flick was without Raphinha and Lamine Yamal due to illness and injury and also chose to rest key players such as Pedri, Joan Garcia and Pau Cubarsi which goes quite a long way to explaining Barca's lack of intensity."
"Hansi Flick did use the game to hand Ronald Araujo a start, although he was replaced at half-time by Xavi Espart after appearing to take a knock. Unfortunately it was a tough game for the young right-back, the hope will be he can learn plenty from his outing. Marc Casado was also given some minutes late on ahead of a big summer for the midfielder."
"Barcelona still end the season eight points clear of nearest challengers Real Madrid and with a vastly superior goal difference. As Flick admitted afterwards, the real work is about to start as Barca being planning for the next campaign in earnest. "I'm pleased with the team's level throughout the season," he told reporters afterwards. "Now everyone wants to play in the World Cup, it's normal for their heads to be elsewhere. This match suits me well to start analyzing things.""
"The best thing about Saturday's match was undoubtedly the sight of Robert Lewandowski signing off his time at Barcelona in traditional Lewandowski-style - with a goal. The striker went close in the first half when he hit the post with a header but had been having a quiet game until the hour mark when he broke the deadlock. The veteran had Ferran Torres to thank for an inadvertent assist. The Spain star fired goalwards and could only watch as Lewandowski managed to divert the ball past goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski at the far post."
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