In one of the best adverts for LaLiga so far this season, Barcelona took all three points courtesy of a 94th-minute penalty from Lionel Messi, but the winner was cruel on a Valencia side who are transformed under new coach Cesare Prandelli.
The game had everything; poor refereeing decisions, offside goals, multiple missed chances, a serious injury to Barcelona captain Andres Iniesta and crowd trouble - to name a few.
None of which should take away from the quality of both sides general play even if there was more than one occasion when either were wasteful in possession.
Samuel Umtiti continues to deliver at the back for the Blaugrana and there surely can be no further argument as to who is now the No.1 choice to partner Gerard Pique in the heart of Barcelona's defence.
He was turned a little too easily when Rodrigo fired Valencia's second but lest we forget that he is still young man learning his trade and can only get better.
It wasn't vintage Barcelona for long periods either but that has to be put down to the excellent work that Prandelli has done on the training pitch with Valencia.
He hadn't given his team a day off all week and was said to be working through the same routines and with the same staff throughout, in order to have everyone as well drilled as possible.
At 2-1 up and on top in the second half, his nous appeared to be paying off, Los Che more than a match for their visitors, as they were in both games last season.
Given the disarray that the club has been in prior to the Italian's arrival however, had they managed to cling on for what would've been a well-deserved draw, the locals would be shouting his name from the rooftops.
They still should be, quite frankly.
He is everything that Messrs. Neville and Ayestaran were not and if he can get one of his attackers firing, there's every reason to think that the good times are just around the corner again for the men from the Estadio Mestalla.
In the space of 180 minutes, he has asked questions of his entire side, and they are responding in kind.
For the second time in two games, Messi will keep the headline writers busy, and for all that he didn't get right in the match, he came up trumps again when it mattered.
Luis Enrique would rightly settle for that kind of prowess for the remainder of the campaign.
If there is a worry for the Barcelona coach, aside from the mounting injuries - and Iniesta's was particularly horrific - it is that the team aren't dominating games in quite the way they should be against teams.
The possession-based football that has been their hallmark was missed today and Barcelona were within 10 seconds of dropping points again.
Were it not for the late and decisive intervention by Aymen Abdennour which allowed Messi to convert, they would have.
Such fine margins...
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