Still groggy from his 0-0 Tuesday against Benfica in C1, FC Barcelona ended up winning 3-1 on Saturday at Villarreal during the 15th day of La Liga, but remains nine points behind the leader, Real Madrid, who receives Sevilla FC on Sunday.
The effect Xavi has its limits: four days after the draw at Camp Nou which greatly complicates its qualification for the knockout stages of the Champions League, the Catalans believed to relive the same nightmare on Saturday at the Ceramics stadium… before a liberating final.
Frenkie de Jong opened the scoring with his first goal of the season in the 50th minute, pushing the ball into the goal after a rebound from Memphis Depay released by Geronimo Rulli.
But in the 77th minute, Samu Chukwueze, which came into play a few minutes earlier instead of Yeremi Pino, took advantage of a placement error of the Catalan defense to equalize.
This goal revived Barça’s worst failures in recent months: we saw the captain Sergio Busquets raise their arms to the sky in spite and bitch against the young defender Oscar Mingueza, and Barça concede many clear chances… like at the end of the match against Benfica Lisbon on Tuesday.
But the outcome was different: in the 88th minute, Memphis Depay, yet uninspired at the start of the meeting, erased Geronimo Rulli and kept his cool to score the goal of deliverance. Then Philippe Coutinho, entered in the 80th place in place of Nico, was hooked in the box by Juan Foyth, and himself was responsible for transforming the penalty (90th + 4).
Thanks to this success, the first of the season away from home and the second in three matches under the Xavi era, Barça continues to move up the standings.
Sunday, Atlético Madrid travel to Cadiz (6.30 p.m.) and Real Sociedad, second in the standings, to Espanyol Barcelona (4.15 p.m.). Real Madrid, meanwhile, host Sevilla FC at 9 p.m. at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium for the matchday 15 poster, which will be played without Eden Hazard, sick.
