FC Barcelona won 2 to 0 in one of the most exciting matches in memory. Gerard Piqué, one of the best centre-backs in history, said goodbye to the Camp Nou with a heartfelt tribute and his Barcelona became provisional leaders of LaLiga Santander after winning 2-0 at Almeria.
The Catalan defender, champion of everything with the Blaugrana team, received a well-deserved tribute before and when he was replaced by a fan dedicated to a player who has won thirty titles with his team and who has become a legend . He left the lawn practically in tears to a tremendous ovation.
Xavi Hernández granted him ownership for such a specified date. The excitement for his farewell was accompanied by the sporting result that leaves Barcelona at the top of the table with two points ahead of Real Madrid, who will visit Rayo Vallecano on Monday in the last match of the thirteenth round.
Barcelona went ahead with the game without great ties and with a few surprises, such as a gallop by the Belgian Largie Ramazani, which did not know how to finish in front of the German goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen and some dangerous approaches from the Almeria block.
Poland’s Robert Lewandowski did not score this time. He even missed a penalty at 7 minutes. It was done by the French Ousmane Dembele (m.48), with a soft shot placed next to the post, and the Dutch Frenkie de Jong (m.62), taking advantage of a rejection by the goalkeeper Fernando to a shot by Ansu Fati .
Between the two of them they decided the game and all that was left was to wait for the moment in which Piqué left the field. It happened six minutes from the end. He was replaced by the Danish Andreas Christensen. He lifted his armband, hugged his teammates and retired excitedly greeting a dedicated fan in which he has left an indelible memory.
Osasuna extended their run of grace thanks to the inspiration of Argentina’s Chimy Ávila and soured Carlos Carvalhal’s debut as Celta coach by winning 1-2 at the Balaídos Stadium, which which temporarily installs him in the European area.
Jagoba Arrasate’s block, which has added ten of the last twelve contested points, had a stellar figure in Chimy. He opened the scoring in the 8th minute with a magnificent cross shot and with a powerful header (m.28) again unbalanced the clash after Iago Aspas had equalized (m.19).
Celta, which has not won since October 2, tried to put things back together and avoid another stumble. For moments he dreamed he could at least save a point when the referee awarded a penalty (m.78) for handball, but after consulting the video he reversed his decision, which leaves him down and with possibility of falling into the relegation zone if Sevilla wins the derby against Betis this Sunday.
Valladolid took advantage of the visit of Cuer Elx to add another triumph (2-1) and continue to affirm their permanence. He was able to win by a more inflated result, but goalie Edgar Badía prevented him, plethoric in Zorrilla.
Javi Sánchez (m.40) and Roque Mesa (m.46), after a magnificent pass from the Ecuadorian Gonzalo Plata, set the stage for the third successive triumph at home for José Rojo’s ‘Pacheta’ team, although entry Badía and a target from Josán Fernández (m.63) did not allow him to breathe easy until the final whistle. Argentine coach Jorge Almirón is still without victory.
David Soria allowed Getafe to salvage a 0-0 draw against Cadiz at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez in another duel with permanence as the objective.
There were four injured centre-backs, the locals Diumenges Duarte and Djene Dakonam and the visitors Víctor Chust and Fali, three sent off, Getafe’s Gastón Álvarez and Portu and the cadista Luis Hernández, and a free kick on the post by the Turkish Enes Unal in the last action of the shock that could have meant, after so many difficulties, the triumph of the Madrid team.
The tables leave Cadiz in the relegation zone, tied with Celta and Espanyol, and Getafe three points clear of the red zone.
