THE CULÉS CONTINUE UNSTOPPABLE IN THE LEAGUE
Barça suffers to beat a superior Athletic (0-1) and will reach the Clásico with a +9
FC Barcelona shows again that it knows how to suffer, resist and win. In San Mamés, Xavi Hernández's men achieved a golden victory in a San Mamés that is always complicated and that gave 'war' until the final minute
With suffering, but the victory costs. The FC Barcelona has had to suffer more than the account to go out of Saint Mamés with a victory that can be decisive to win LaLiga in this season. The Barcelona have had to resist, impose and hold the pressure of an Athletic that did not give by defeated in any moment after the goal of Raphinha before the rest. The culés will arrive to the Classical in front of the Real Madrid with nine points of advantage... An overwhelming difference and key.
There is not simple visit to Saint Mamés and this the Barça knew it from before the party, especially in a night in which the terracing also played and left clear his anger in the middle of the 'case Negreira'. They starred a historical protest that has not happened unobserved, but fortunately no 'weighed' in the performance of the players of Xavi Hernández, those who only had between eyebrow and eyebrow achieve a victory that approach them more to the title of League. It was, however, a party complicated, with a lot of histories and of the that can take out a few conclusions.
The trainer of Terrassa went back to bet for playing with three forwards to try find, of way simpler, the road to the goal. Ferran Torres was the novelty in the 'return' of Robert Lewandowski, in an eleven in that it also stood out the presence of Sergi Roberto. Like answer, Ernesto Valverde changed his letters and changed to Nico Williams, his player more desequilibrante, of band so that it confronted in front of the one of Reus and no against Alejandro Balde that the 'dried' in the party of the first turn (and that achieved it in the second part). The two put his letters on the table to pose one of the most thrilling parties of LaLiga and in which it did not exist 'rest' in any moment.
'Hold' and expect to Raphinha, solution for the Barça
In the beginning of the crash, went the Athletic the one who proposed of start. They jumped launched to the attack and with a lot of approaches to the area of Ter Stegen. They did not allow that the exit of the Barça went clear and forced them to be much more near of his area, with few options to confront to Agirrezabala in the first-half, more alla of a one against one in front of Robert Lewandowski, that resolved without pressures, or a volley of Ferran that it left was. The Barcelona were not comfortable and had a lot of problems, of beginning, to control the balloon and the party.
Although the Barça was the one who advanced 'early', the Athletic signed the clearest occasions of the first-half with a shot potentísimo of Iñaki Williams that forced the pulled of Ter Stegen, to divert and command it was. In the answer, Raúl García finished of head but the crossbar avoided the 1-0. The bilbaínos felt very upper, but was Raphinha the one who finished decanting the scales in favour of his... With suspense, before the end of the first part.
And it is that the Brazilian, that has turned into the maximum second goleador of the Barça with nine targets, went back to jump to the rescue as already it had done it, does a week, against Valencia. In Saint Mamés, Sergio Busquets hunted the balloon in the frontal of the area and commanded a pass milimétrico to his right to find to a Raphinha that controlled to beat to Agirrezabala with a derechazo that went directly to the long stick. After review of the VAR, by possible offside, the goal allowed that the Barcelona left to the rest with advantage.
After the resumption, continued being a party that was living to the limit and that it was an authentic gone and turn, but with a mejoría importantísima of the Barça, that began to play with the most hit interiors to the band to generate spaces and can encontar to the attackers. The Catalans were living more near of the rival area and Lewandowski was the first in warning with a finish of head, after pass of Balde from background line, that left was. The culés happened to be very comfortable, without pressure, in the research of the second so much.
The Barça, once again without closing the party
The physical requirement and the wear of the first-half happened bill and to the ones of Ernesto Valverde, because it saw them a course underneath in the first minutes, although they took advantage of of a defensive distraction of the Barça to sign a very clear occasion that, if it had not been by Ter Stegen, would have meant the 1-1: Berenguer found the gap in the left and took out a finish raso to the short stick that the guardameta diverted to corner.
The one of Mönchengladbach had to take part more to keep his goal to zero, with a pulled bestial to detain the strike of Muniain that looked for the long stick. In the another side, further of the head butt out of Lewandowski, andl Barça was having big problems to be able to confront to an Agirrezabala that was not appearing in the second half by desmérito of the blaugrana that, as they come accustoming in the last weeks, had few ideas to the hour to handle the balloon and generate occasions to move more the marker.
Technical index card of the party: Athletic Club 0-1 FC Barcelona
- Athletic Club: Agirrezabala; Of Marcos, Vivian, Iñigo, Balenziaga; Dani García, Vesga (min. 63, Zarraga); Nico, Raúl García (min. 63, Muniain), Berenguer and Iñaki Williams.
- FC Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Roberto, Koundé, Christensen, Alejandro Balde; Sergio Busquets, Frenkie Of Jong, Gavi; Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski and Ferran (min. 67, Kessié).
- Referee: Gil Manzano.
- Incidences: corresponding Party to the twentieth fifth day of LaLiga Santander2022-2023
- Goals of the party: 0-1, Raphinha (min. 45+1)
