With a goal from Pedri on the hour of play, FC Barcelona took all three points (1-0) from their visit to Girona despite not offering a good image, although they add a new victory that allows the Catalans to lead by six points to Real Madrid.
The white team will play its LaLiga matchday 19 game on Sunday (8:00 p.m. GMT) once morest Real Sociedad (3rd) at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
It is the third consecutive game (Getafe and Girona in the League and Real Sociedad in the Cup) that Xavi Hernández’s team has won 1-0, which shows that the Catalans are not going through their best moment of play, despite successfully taking out goals matches.
After a first part dominated by Barça, but with few occasions (only Ansu Fati in minute 29 and Pedri in minute 41 put the Argentine goalkeeper of Girona Paulo Gazzaniga to the test), following the break the game improved in terms of play and emotion.
At game time, Barça managed to get ahead on the scoreboard in a play that began on the right wing and ended on the other side, with a cross from Jordi Alba that Pedri finished off into the net at the far post and from inside the small area ( 61).
With the score once morest them, the local team took a step forward and began to threaten the frame defended by Marc André Ter Stegen.
Arnau Martínez equalized shortly following the Barça goal but the move was canceled due to the Girona winger being offside (65).
As the minutes progressed, Girona increased control of the game and Barça defended further back.
The Uruguayan central defender Ronald Araujo was once once more providential for another game, taking a header from Bernardo on the goal line that seemed to surpass Ter Stegen (73).
Girona, whose coach Míchel was sent off shortly before the end, ended up facing the rival goal and came close to drawing with chances from Iván Martín (87), Joel Roca (89), Valery Fernández )90+ and the Uruguayan Cristhian Stuani ( 90+6) and Barça ended up asking for the time, but managed to take the victory to stay at least one more week as leader of LaLiga.
In the first game on Saturday, Cádiz (15th) defeated Mallorca (10th) 2-0 and adds three points that allow them to leave, at least provisionally, the relegation zone.
— Results of the matches of the 19th day of the Spanish soccer championship, and classification table:
– friday:
Almeria – Espanyol 3 – 1
– Saturday:
Cadiz – Majorca 2 – 0
Girona – Barcelona 0 – 1
(17h30 GMT) Seville – Elche
Getafe – Betis
– domingo:
(13h00 GMT) Valladolid – Valencia
(15:15 GMT) Osasuna v Atletico Madrid
(17h30 GMT) Celta – Athletic
(20h00 GMT) Real Madrid – Real Sociedad
– monday:
(20h00 GMT) Villarreal – Lightning
Classification: Pts JGEP GF GC Diff
1. Barcelona 47 18 15 2 1 37 6 31
2. Real Madrid 41 17 13 2 2 38 16 22
3. Royal Society 38 18 12 2 4 28 18 10
4. Atletico Madrid 31 18 9 4 5 27 16 11
5. Villarreal 31 18 9 4 5 21 13 8
6. betis 28 17 8 4 5 19 14 5
7. health 28 18 8 4 6 18 17 1
8. Athletic 26 18 7 5 6 25 19 6
9. lightning 26 18 7 5 6 24 22 2
10. Mallorca 25 19 7 4 8 15 18 -3
11. Almeria 22 19 6 4 9 23 29 -6
12. girona 21 19 5 6 8 26 29 -3
13. Valencia 20 17 5 5 7 25 20 5
14. Espanyol 20 19 4 8 7 23 29 -6
15. cadiz 19 19 4 7 8 14 29 -15
16. Sevilla 18 18 4 6 8 18 26 -8
17. getafe 17 18 4 5 9 16 25 -9
18. celta 17 18 4 5 9 17 29 -12
19. Valladolid 17 18 5 2 11 13 28 -15
20. elche 6 18 0 6 12 12 36 -24
./bds/mcd/dr
