Once again unconvincing after two defeats and a draw, FC Barcelona painfully returned to victory on Wednesday at home at the expense of the red lantern Almeria (3-2), during the 18th day of the Spanish championship.
Barça (38 pts) provisionally returns to four points behind Real Madrid (2nd) and six behind Girona, the leader. Girona and Real will both play on the road on Thursday, in Seville against Betis (7th) and Alavès (14th), respectively. On the other hand, Barcelona is now three steps ahead of Atlético Madrid (4th, but with a game in hand), held at home by Getafe (3-3) on Tuesday.
Raphinha opened the scoring for the Catalans: on a corner taken by Ilkay Gündogan on the right, Ronald Araujo placed a header which was deflected by Portuguese goalkeeper Luis Maximiano into the feet of the Brazilian striker, who scored from close range ( 33rd). A few minutes later Maximiliano superbly diverted a curling shot with the left foot of Robert Lewandowski (37th), still very discreet on Wednesday.
Almeria, the only team still to have not won a single league match this season (5 draws, 13 defeats), equalized through their Brazilian center forward Leo Baptistao, who deceived Inaki Pena after starting on the edge of the game (41st). The goal was initially refused and then finally validated after intervention by the VAR (41st). Catalan captain Sergi Roberto then gave his team the advantage with a splendid uncrossed header from a corner hit on the left by Raphinha (60th).
Against all expectations, however, Almeria, which had hardly posed any big problems to the Catalan defense until then, equalized again by taking advantage of an incredible disagreement between Ikai Pena and Ronald Araujo. On an aerial ball, the goalkeeper and the Uruguayan defender got in the way, allowing Andalusian central defender Edgar Gonzalez to recover the ball to score quietly in the empty goal (2-2, 71st). But Xavi’s men still managed to snatch victory at the end of the match thanks to a double from Sergi Roberto, who was superbly cleared by Lewandowski (83rd).
