Barcelona secured a 2-1 victory over Las Palmas, counting on a penalty kick in stoppage time to remain in keeping with league leaders Real Madrid and Girona within the Spanish league on Thursday.
Ilkay Gündoğan despatched his shot from the penalty spot into the center of the online three minutes into added time to maintain Barcelona inside seven factors of leaders Madrid and Girona on the midway level of the season.
Madrid, that are forward of Girona on a tiebreaker, defeated Mallorca 1-0 on Wednesday, whereas Girona beat fifth-place Atletico Madrid 4-3.
“Everyone is having a hard time winning,” Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez stated. “Girona’s victory came in the last second, Madrid needed a goal off a corner in the 80th, and we did it with a penalty in the final moments. We have what it takes to win the league; you have to respect the defending champions.”
It was one other poor efficiency by Barcelona, who ended final yr with three setbacks earlier than edging last-place Almeria in a match through which it was booed by its personal followers after one other lackluster outing.
Mid-table Las Palmas have been in management within the first half and squandered a number of probabilities to take the lead. Barcelona went into the locker room at halftime with no photographs on the right track.
“What was important was to get the three points,” Barcelona ahead Ferran Torres stated. “We could not get the timing proper with the final go within the first half.”
The hosts loudly complained of the penalty that prompted the decisive objective and a purple card to Daley Sinkgraven for an alleged push on Gündoğan inside the world.
Munir El Haddadi, a former Barcelona participant, had put Las Palmas forward from shut vary within the eleventh, and Torres equalized within the fifty fifth from inside the world.
Las Palmas, winless in three matches, has not crushed Barcelona in 15 league matches, with 5 attracts and 10 losses.
Barcelona defender Joao Cancelo had to get replaced due to an damage about 10 minutes into the match at Gran Canaria Stadium.
Vitor Roque, the 18-year-old Brazilian who not too long ago joined Barcelona, made his debut with the membership after changing Torres within the 78th. Roque missed a few clear probabilities after Barcelona took the lead late within the recreation.
The begin of the second half was delayed for a couple of minutes to repair the online in one of many objectives.
Ramos shushes followers
Sevilla’s struggles continued with a 2-0 house loss to Athletic Bilbao, adopted by Sergio Ramos getting right into a verbal spat with a fan in his post-match interview.
The veteran defender was speaking to a tv reporter by the sideline when he angrily responded to a fan who was apparently yelling at him from the stands.
“Have some respect, we are talking. Respect the fans and the shield. Respect the fans and shut up now,” Ramos yelled.
“We have to endure everything. It’s the situation now,” he informed the reporter. “We perceive the frustration of the followers; it is regular. It’s been a very long time with out successful, with out giving them some happiness.”
It was the fifth defeat in Sevilla’s final six matches in all competitions, leaving the normal membership from southern Madrid in sixteenth place, one level from the relegation zone.
Sevilla have just one win in its final 13 league matches – at second-to-last-place Granada in December.
Mikel Vesga and Aitor Paredes scored a objective in every half for Athletic, which jumped to fourth place with its third straight league victory.
Athletic have been already with out ahead Inaki Williams, who will play with Ghana within the upcoming African Cup of Nations.
Almeria nonetheless winless
Osasuna gained 1-0 in opposition to last-place Almeria, the one staff but to win within the league this season.
Ante Budimir scored a Twenty seventh-minute winner for Osasuna, who’ve gained two of their final three matches after a six-match winless run.
It was the 14th league loss for Almeria, whose solely victory this season got here in opposition to lower-division membership Talavera within the Copa del Rey.
Source: www.dailysabah.com