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Barcelona full-back Alejandro Balde has sent a message to fans following an injury scare during the 2-1 La Liga win at Valencia on Saturday (August 17). The left-back started at the Mestalla.
Balde has struggled with fitness issues recently. Last season, a ruptured tendon saw him sidelined for nearly 200 days, missing most of the second half of the campaign. He has since returned to fitness under new boss Hansi Flick.
However, after just over an hour, Balde had to be substituted for Gerard Martin due to injury. Balde was also seen limping, which raised fears that the 20-year-old full-back had picked up another long-term injury.
However, he reassured fans that it was a mere knock (via Barca Universal):
“It was only a blow. I’m alright.”
Flick also spoke about the full-back's injury status, revealing a similar sentiment:
“We’ll do more tests when we get to Barcelona, but I think that Balde is fine."
Fans will breathe a sigh of relief after Balde's injury scare. He will hope to stay fit this season and improve on his tally of 28 appearances across competitions last season.
How Barcelona beat Valencia
Alejandro Balde was easily one of the best players for Barcelona, as he helped them find a much-needed equaliser against Valencia. Los Che had scored first, with Hugo Duro heading home after 44 minutes, having chased the opener for much of the first half.
However, Barca rallied quickly to equalise in first-half injury time. He provided an impressive cross from deep into Lamine Yamal, whose first-time delivery into the six-yard box was met by Robert Lewandowski. The Polish marksman didn't miss from close range.
Barca continued their search for a second goal right after half-time, and it paid off. Raphinha was fouled in the box three minutes into the second half. Lewandowski scored from the spot, unleashing a fierce drive into the top right corner to seal the win.
Barcelona were the more dominant side, taking the lion's share of possession (64%). They also had 18 shots at goal, with six on target, while Valencia had just six shots at goal. The Blaugrana also kept an impressive passing accuracy of 86%, compared to Valencia's 77%.
*Stats are from Fotmob*
