Marc-André ter Stegen marked his return to goal for Barcelona after more than six months out due to injury.
The German international started his team’s match against bottom-of-the-table Real Valladolid in the 34th round of the league.
Just six minutes into the match, Ivan Sanchez unleashed a low-powered shot, but Ter Stegen mishandled it, resulting in Valladolid’s first goal.
Social media immediately swarmed with attacks on Ter Stegen, as did coach Hansi Flick’s decision to use him during this crucial period of the season instead of the brilliant Szczesny.
إيفان سانشيز يفتتح التسجيل لبلد الوليد أمام برشلونة#الدوري_الإسباني | #بلد_الوليد | #برشلونة pic.twitter.com/eV5SpH2Jvp
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) May 3, 2025
Ter Stegen’s absence extended to 222 days, making his return while Barça were competing for the La Liga title a huge risk, which resulted in the bizarre goal he conceded.
Barcelona leads Real Madrid by four points at the top of La Liga, while Valladolid has already secured relegation to the second division, which seems to have made coach Flick feel the match is easy and within reach.
It’s worth noting that Flick has also rested several players in preparation for the second leg of the Champions League semi-final against Inter Milan next Tuesday at the San Siro.
