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Madrid (AFP) – 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.
As happened once morest Getafe last week, the young Pedri was once once more decisive, despite the fact that he is not an outstanding scorer: “I know that I have to improve the goal. Now they are falling and entering me”, the Canarian player congratulated himself at the end of the meeting.
The bad news for Xavi Hernández’s team was the injury to Frenchman Ousmane Dembelé, one of Barça’s fittest players. Precisely, it was Pedri who came on as his substitute in the 25th minute.
According to a statement from Barça, the Frenchman suffers “an injury to the rectus femoris of the left thigh” and although he does not specify the time out, it is difficult for him to be able to play for the Europa League tie once morest Manchester United (February 16 and 23). ).
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.
Pedri decides once more
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, the local team took a step forward and 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 (12th), 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+5) and from 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.
“I think that on these pitches you have to win anyway. We can play better, but in these games away, once morest rivals who play well, winning is very important,” said Barça’s French defender Jules Koundé.
Seville breathes
Also this Saturday, Sevilla achieved a 3-0 victory once morest bottom club Elche, essential for Jorge Sampaoli’s team, which is fighting for permanence.
Despite the elimination of the Cup in the middle of this week (on penalties once morest Osasuna in the quarterfinals), the ghost of relegation seems to be moving away from the Sevillian team, which before beating Elche this Saturday, beat another rival a week ago for permanence, Cádiz.
The Andalusian team took the lead with a goal from Moroccan striker Youssef En-Nesyri (29) and everything ended up getting even more complicated for Elche, who still haven’t won a game, when they were left with 10 due to the expulsion of Pedro Bigas (41). , a circumstance that Sevilla took advantage of to sentence before the break, with goals from Argentine Marcos Acuña (43) and the second from En-Nesyri (45+4).
Sevilla is placed 13th with 21 points, four above relegation, marked by Getafe and Celta.
The Madrid team lost in each 1-0 once morest Betis (6th) thanks to a penalty goal by Borja Iglesias in the final stretch of the match (86).
With this victory, the team coached by the Chilean Manuel Pellegrini breaks a streak of three consecutive defeats (one on penalties in the Super Cup semifinal once morest Barcelona, another in the Copa del Rey once morest Osasuna and once morest Espanyol in the League last week). and remains in the fight to play the next edition of the Champions League.
© 2023 AFP
