There are goals that seem like punishments, such as the runner-up that Barcelona is fighting with Girona. The prize is a ticket to next year’s Super Cup, the fourth major title. In one of those long league matches, the Blaugrana took advantage of Friday’s draw against their Girona neighbors on Monday to advance in slow motion, almost out of necessity, to regain second place in the League.
Despite the irregular season, we do not see a revolution in this final stretch, but Barça will compete with the same weapons as almost all season. With the same ones that defeated Real Sociedad. The imbalance of Lamine Yamal, the cannon of Raphinha and the light – when it comes on – of Gündogan were enough arguments for a team that got into tune after a sluggish start. Remiro, who lived very calmly in the first half hour, avoided a more placid triumph for Xavi’s, who once again depended on themselves. That is to say, from the extreme of the youngster, the willful Brazilian and the know-how of the German expert.
The presence of the tourists in the stands is easily perceptible because they are waiting for the highlights of the players but in the first half hour there was hardly any continuity in the game and the ability to create danger, which is what separates a team from a collection of trading cards
The first play foreshadowed that the Blaugrana wanted to take advantage of Girona’s stumbling in the fast way. They combined Cancelo, Pedri and Raphinha well and quickly and reached the area before the first minute, but the Brazilian’s cross did not reach Lewandowski. The winger continues to alternate between a cold and a hot one, that a good clearance is followed by an imprecise assist, always more successful with the shot than with possession.
Imanol surprised Xavi by choosing Becker as Oyarzabal’s partner in the forward duo instead of Kubo. This coincided with the decision of the Barça coach to do without Araújo at the center of the defense. Everything the Japanese has in stroke, Becker has in speed and the footballer from Surinam was a problem for the young Cubarsí, who had to run a lot chasing the cavalcades of the tip.
Barça were not comfortable because between Brais, Merino and Turrientes they were dizzy until they started to find Gündogan between the lines. The German interior provides the pause necessary for the day to attack and with his actions he lit the lamp that was lacking, because Remiro had barely had to intervene.
First he made a wall inside the area with Lamine Yamal. When the youngster was about to beat the goalkeeper, Pacheco appeared. Shortly after, the ex-City man snuck through the center to the front and played with Pedri, who quickly left his face for Raphinha in the front. The Brazilian’s good low shot hit the post.
The third appearance of Gündogan did find the goal for Barça. This time it was Lewandowski who turned in the center circle and sent his colleague deep. The pass dislocated Real’s central three and gave an advantage to Gündogan, who, very generously, enabled Lamine Yamal to his right. First, the player crossed in front of Remiro’s exit for 1-0.
The two veterans partnered to invite the youngster. The two signed stars made it easy for the pearl of the house. One thing that should happen more, that it was the Cracs who helped and helped in the responsibility of the boys of the Farmhouse. The winger hadn’t scored in two months.
Barcelona’s good end to the first half gave confidence to the team, especially to Raphinha who liked to take his good shot for a walk. After an attempted corner he tried it, but he shot high. Yes, he found the net with another good shot that went into the box, but he also found a great answer with the flight of Remiro, who then showed off again in front of Ferran Torres, Lewandowski’s substitute, who went being unable to approach Dóvbik.
If Gündogan had activated his team, he was about to do the same with the opponent. Brais almost took advantage of a mistake on his way out, but the Galician crossed too much after entering the area. Real had decided to stretch and Ter Stegen stopped Kubo’s shots and a Zakharian free kick.
It seemed that Barça could suffer in the final stretch, but the VAR belatedly warned Cuadra Fernández of Odriozola’s hands in the area. The referee went to see the play and decreed a penalty much to the displeasure of the people of Donostia. Without Lewandowski, Raphinha took it upon himself to convert the penalty with his cannon.