Following Monday night’s mid-table clash between Celta Vigo and Mallorca (won by the visitors), it’s time for our review of the main talking points from the weekend in Spain’s top flight.
By Ben Hayward, LaLiga expert
Barcelona draw again
Barcelona drew 0-0 for the second LaLiga game in a row at the weekend. Following last Monday’s goalless game against Girona at Camp Nou, the Blaugrana were held by Getafe at the Coliseum on Sunday and have seen their lead at the top of the table reduced to 11 points.
Raphinha and Alejandro Baldé both hit the post in the same move as Barça came close to scoring in a quick break after 25 minutes. Robert Lewandowski, whose form has dipped in the second half of the season, also saw a header well saved by David Soria in a game of few clear-cut chances.
Xavi was unhappy with the state of the pitch. “It affected us,” he said. “But we knew that. Yesterday we trained on dry grass in Barcelona because we knew about this situation. I have been criticised a lot for talking about playing surfaces, but it’s very difficult for the players when it’s in that state. It’s bad for the spectacle and even for Getafe, because the ball gets caught up.”
During his playing days, Xavi regularly referenced poor pitches after things had not gone Barça’s way, but here he had another surprising complaint. “We’re used to playing without the sun,” he said. “Again, without wishing for it to sound like an excuse, we are used to playing night games.”
Getafe coach Quique Sánchez Flores responded. “The pitch was the same for us both,” he said. “They leave it very short at their ground and very fast. Everyone plays with their own tools.” And on Xavi’s remarks about the weather, he quipped: “Nivea and Aftersun.”
Despite back-to-back draws, Barcelona still boast a considerable lead in the table with nine rounds remaining. “It’s another point at a difficult ground due to the circumstances,” Xavi said. “We have to recover our feeling and also our best play. Nothing is done yet.”
Real Madrid win in Cádiz
Karim Benzema hit bar and post as Real Madrid missed a number of chances in the opening hour away to Cádiz on Saturday night. Goalkeeper David Gil also made a number of fine saves as Los Blancos were denied until the final stages of the match, when the breakthrough finally arrived for Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
It took something special as Nacho Fernández, playing against his brother Álex, drove a fierce low shot into the corner from outside the box after 72 minutes. And shortly afterwards, Marco Asensio finished off a move which had started with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to wrap up an ultimately convincing win.
“We played well, with attitude and commitment,” Ancelotti said after the game. “We deserved to score earlier.”
Sandwiched between their two Champions League quarter-final matches against Chelsea, this was potentially a banana skin for Real Madrid. “We showed a lot of energy on the pitch,” Ancelotti said. “This was a tricky one, but the players went out with great concentration.”
Benzema and Éder Militão both played the 90 minutes in an otherwise heavily rotated team ahead of the game at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday and Ancelotti said: “It’s true that they played a lot of minutes, but the team is in good shape physically and they will be fine to play on Tuesday.”
Madrid are 11 behind Barcelona with nine games left, while Cádiz sit just four points above the drop zone after this defeat.
Atlético beat Almería
Atlético Madrid continued their recent fine form with another win, this time at home to Almería. But for the second week in a row, it was a nervy one for the Rojiblancos. Diego Simeone’s side almost had to settle for a draw as Rayo Vallecano pressured late in their previous match and held on again here through some anxious moments in the closing stages.
Antoine Griezmann opened the scoring with a header from close range after five minutes and added a second just before half-time following a lengthy VAR check for offside to restore Atleti’s lead after José Giménez had deflected a shot from Léo Baptistão into the net. The Brazilian, formerly of Atlético, did not celebrate his goal.
Griezmann came close to a hat-trick as he hit the post in the second half, but VAR checked for a possible penalty in the final minute for handball. After a pitchside look from the referee, it was not given and Simeone went running down the tunnel at the final whistle.
Atlético have won 11 of 15 in LaLiga since the World Cup break and have lost just once in that time. “Some people thought we were dead,” Simeone said. “But the race finishes in the last round.”
Atlético are just two points behind Real Madrid in third place and 13 adrift of leaders Barcelona. “The 27 points in play give us a chance of winning the championship,” president Enrique Cerezo said. It is a slim one, however. Atlético travel to leaders Barça at Camp Nou next weekend.
Valencia in the mire
Valencia’s 2-0 defeat to fellow strugglers Sevilla on Sunday leaves Los Che in big trouble. Rubén Baraja’s side are down in 18th place and are now three points adrift of Almería above them. They face bottom club Elche next and have to start winning soon.
At Mestalla on Sunday, Valencia were furious with the officials after a number of key decisions went against them. The home side were unhappy with what they believed was a foul in the build-up to Loïc Badé’s opening goal in the second half and also after they were not given what looked like a clear penalty for handball by Sevilla’s Fernando at 1-0 down.
“We ask for respect because there is a lot at stake,” Baraja said. But he remains confident his side can beat the drop. “There are a lot of points left,” he added. “We’re just one win away from getting back into the fight. Nobody is giving up.”
Athletic win Basque Derby
Iñaki Williams scored a goal in each half as Athletic Club beat Real Sociedad 2-0 at San Mames to win the Basque derby on Saturday. The first was a scrappy effort scrambled home after he had initially miscontrolled, his second a beauty as the Ghana forward hit a fierce strike into the top corner from a tight angle.
The win was deserved and sees Athletic back in the race for Europe, four points behind sixth-placed Villarreal. Real Sociedad remain fourth, but are now just three ahead of Real Betis, 3-1 winners over struggling Espanyol at the weekend.
It was Athletic’s first win at home since early February. “We needed to back up our good away form,” coach Ernesto Valverde said. “We showed a good level against the fourth-placed team in the league.”
For their part, Real Sociedad will be hoping they can hang on to the final Champions League spot, but the San Sebastian side would be 11th if only results in the second half of the season were taken into account and will need to improve on that to claim fourth place.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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