Updated
The Catalans started the year with a victory (0-1). Unlike Real, beaten by Getafe by the same score. Atlético ended their negative streak once morest Rayo Vallecano (2-0).
After touching the uprights twice, Luuk de Jong scored Barcelona’s only goal.
AFP
La Liga leaders Real Madrid suffered their first defeat in three months on Sunday 1-0 at Getafe for Matchday 19, as Atlético Madrid defeated Rayo Vallecano 2-0 and Barca dominated Mallorca 1-0.
Despite the many cases of Covid-19, the Catalans started 2022 with a 1-0 victory once morest Mallorca in the Balearic Islands, thanks to a goal from Luuk de Jong’s header just before the break (44th). Announced on the departure by the Catalan press during the winter transfer window which opens Monday in Spain, the center forward proved to his coach that he should perhaps still be counted on.
Two uprights
The Dutchman put on a show at the half-hour mark, hitting the Mallorcan frame twice in thirty seconds, first the left upright, then the crossbar, on an acrobatic volley that took the stadium’s breath away. His Moix.
The lack of manpower pushed Xavi to launch new nuggets formed at La Masia in La Liga: Alvaro Sanz replaced Nico in the 71st, and Estanislau Pedrola Fortuny replaced Ilias Akhomach in the 80th, for a scoresheet with a strong blaugrana accent. .
But the Catalan technician can especially thank Marc-André ter Stegen: the German goalkeeper signed an exceptional save in stoppage time, with an iron right hand, to save the result and allow Barça to finally come back among the qualifying places for European competitions (5th, 31 pts).
End of a series
Karim Benzema and the Merengues have dried up once morest Getafe.
REUTERS
The men of the “White House”, who had not bowed since October 3 and a defeat on the ground of Espanyol Barcelona (2-1), folded Sunday on a goal of Enes Unal in the 9th minute, following an unfortunate loss of ball by Eder Militao.
For Carlo Ancelotti’s men, it’s the end of an unbeaten streak of 15 matches in three months, during which they recorded 13 wins and 2 draws.
For Getafe, this success is a welcome breath of fresh air at the start of the year: players from the suburbs of Madrid are temporarily moving away from the red zone, with three points ahead of the first relegation, Alavés (15 points ), which hosts Real Sociedad for the Basque derby in the early evening (6.30 p.m.).
We stayed on vacation one more day
Even Karim Benzema, in search of his 300th goal in the white jersey, failed to make a difference. And players known for their qualities on the ball seemed particularly clumsy on Sunday, like Toni Kroos or Marcelo. “We stayed on vacation one more day,” summed up “Carletto” on Sunday at a post-match press conference.
Rodrygo hit
This loss may not be the only bad news for Ancelotti: Rodrygo, who was hit in the left shoulder during a crash early in the second period, was replaced in the 67th minute by Mariano.
Only Modric, at the height of his 36 years, floated on the merengue side. And Isco, entered late in the game, was very close to equalizing with a header on a free kick from Luka Modric in the 90th minute, but David Soria interposed once more. Despite this setback, do not panic for the Madrilenians: Real still have (provisionally) 17 points ahead of Atlético Madrid (5th, 29 pts) and which receives at 4:15 p.m. the surprise team of Liga, Rayo Vallecano (4th), and 18 points ahead of Barça (7th, 28 pts), who travels to Mallorca in the evening (9:00 p.m.).
Correa l’Atlético
Angel Correa allowed his team to end a series of 4 losses in the league.
REUTERS
In the process, thanks to a double from the omnipresent Argentinian Angel Correa (28th, 53rd), Atlético Madrid controlled 2-0 at home the surprise team of this start of the season in La Liga, Rayo Vallecano, in the second Madrid derby of this 19th day.
A success that allows the Colchoneros to forget a catastrophic month of December (4 defeats in 4 league matches), to start 2022 with a first victory in La Liga since November 28 (4-1 once morest Cadiz), and to double in the standings their opponent of the day, somewhat diminished by the cases of Covid-19.
Andoni Iraola, the Basque technician from Rayo, notably chose to revive Luca Zidane in the cages, for his second game of the season in La Liga. The French goalkeeper was sent off on a red card on the first day once morest Sevilla FC (3-0), and had not played in the league since then, giving way to Stole Dimitrievski. He mightn’t do anything once morest Correa’s two strikes.
(AFP)
