After a round of games where the drama ran right through to the Monday night fixture in Madrid, we’ll try to round up all the main talking points in this article.
By Ben Hayward, LaLiga expert
Piqué says farewell to Camp Nou
Gerard Piqué announced on Thursday that Barcelona’s game against Almería on Saturday would be his last for the Catalan club. Coach Xavi then revealed the following day that the centre-back would be involved at Osasuna on Tuesday as well, but Saturday was the 35-year-old’s final game at Camp Nou. Piqué started the match in front of 92,605 fans and when Barcelona won a penalty after six minutes, many of those supporters chanted his name in the hope he would take the kick. But Robert Lewandowski stepped up instead, paused in the run-up, and missed. Later in the half, Marc-Andre ter Stegen made a fine save to deny Largie Ramazani one-on-one. Barça were otherwise dominant though and missed a couple of superb chances before breaking the deadlock early in the second half with a fine individual effort from Ousmane Dembélé. Frenkie de Jong later struck from close range to wrap up a routine win after Ansu Fati’s shot had hit the crossbar and rebounded into his path.
But the evening was all about Piqué. The defender was substituted to an ovation with five minutes left and addressed the fans after the game in an emotional speech. “It was a great day,” he said after the match. “These six months haven’t been easy. I think that has shown. But today was a liberation: to play from the start, in front of the fans, to do it like that… I take with me an unforgettable memory.”
“It was a historic night and a perfect one for everyone, mainly for Gerard,” Xavi said later. “He played a great match. We want to give him the best possible farewell. The bigger the match for him, the better he performs. I have already told him he is a Barça legend and we are very grateful to him.”
Pique played his part in an impressive win which saw Barça move provisionally two points ahead of Real Madrid at the top of the table.
“The result doesn’t reflect the superiority of the team,” Xavi added. “But it gives us three points to stay in the fight.”
Madrid beaten by Rayo
And those three points did more than keep Barça in the fight because on Monday night, Real Madrid – still missing Karim Benzema and without the suspended Toni Kroos – were surprisingly beaten by Rayo Vallecano. The home side took the lead after five minutes thanks to an excellent first-time finish from Santi Comesaña and although the champions turned it around later in the first half with a Luka Modrić penalty and an Éder Militão header, Álvaro García made it 2-2 just before the break. Rayo then won a penalty in the second half as Dani Carvajal handled in the area. Thibaut Courtois saved Óscar Trejo’s spot-kick, but could not repeat his heroics after a retake was ordered. The Belgian goalkeeper looked to have been penalised for being very slightly off his line, but it was because Carvajal had been encroaching when the first penalty was taken.
“We made mistakes,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said afterwards. “We were not strong enough. In this type of game, quality is not enough.”
In his post-match press conference, it was put to Ancelotti that some of his players had already been thinking about the forthcoming World Cup. “I don’t think that’s the reason [we lost],” he said. “We’re not as fresh as before because we have played a lot of matches. We’re not in the same shape as before, but that’s normal. LaLiga is long.”
Heading into the previous weekend, Los Blancos led Barcelona by three points but now trail the Catalans by two after a disappointing draw at home to Girona and this defeat in Vallecas. “We are disappointed to have lost the lead,” Ancelotti said. “It’s not a physical problem. We had some strategy problems. I have no problem with sending long balls forward and we should have done that on more than one occasion.”
Vinícius Júnior was unable to influence the game as he usually does and the Brazilian symbolised Madrid’s struggles against Rayo. “It was a difficult match for him and for all of us,” Ancelotti said.
But Rayo’s performance was admirable again under Andoni Iraola, whose side have now beaten Sevilla and Valencia and drawn against Barcelona at Camp Nou this season. “I feel proud of my players,” he said. “They showed personality. It was an amazing effort.”
Atlético held by 10-man Espanyol; Sevilla Derby end even
Champions League elimination, missing out on the Europa League as well and defeat to Cadíz made it a nightmare week or so for Atlético Madrid prior to their game at home to Espanyol on Sunday. Things did improve slightly for Diego Simeone’s side, though not by much. A comfortable win appeared to be on the cards when Espanyol’s Leandro Cabrera was shown the red card for a foul on Álvaro Morata inside half an hour. But the visitors scored first when Sergi Darder volleyed home at the far post after 62 minutes. Simeone sent on João Félix shortly afterwards and the Portuguese rescued a point for the Rojiblancos with a fine run into the area and finish inside the near post. He then twice came close to a late winner and surely should be starting these games. “At least we didn’t lose,” a sober Simeone said afterwards. “We could have won and we earn a point which keeps us in the top four.” Small mercies at the moment.
Real Betis remain level on points with Atlético in fourth after a fiery Seville derby ended even on Sunday. Betis went a man up in El Gran Derbi after Gonzalo Montiel was sent off for a cynical foul on Álex Moreno and then a goal up in bizarre circumstances as an attempted clearance from Nemanja Gudelj ricocheted off Jesús Navas and looped into the back of the net. But Betis later saw Nabil Fekir dismissed for catching Papu Gómez in the face with his arm and Borja Iglesias red carded for a stamp on Joan Jordán. Gudelj then hit an unstoppable strike from distance to level the scores after 82 minutes and the Serbia midfielder – playing in defence here – twice came close to a late winner, smacking a brilliant volley against the crossbar before forcing a fine save from Claudio Bravo deep in added time. “I have the feeling that we lost two points,” Betis boss Manuel Pellegrini said. “When we played 11 against 11, the difference was enormous.” “But Sevilla coach Jorge Sampaoli saw it differently. “The team played well,” he said. “We had personality and we clearly deserved to win the game.” Sevilla, still down in 17th place, need to start winning games.
Elsewhere, Chimy Ávila scored two golazos as Osasuna beat Celta Vigo 2-1 at Balaidos to move to within a point of the Champions League places, while Girona followed up their 1-1 draw at the Santiago Bernabéu with an impressive 2-1 win over Athletic Club and Mallorca stunned Villarreal with a 2-0 victory at the Estadio de la Ceramica, which featured an incredible second from Senegal winger Amath Ndiaye.
(Images from IMAGO)
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