Barcelona’s Unbeaten Away Streak in La Liga Continues

Barcelona are yet to lose away from home in La Liga this season, winning seven and drawing six

Barcelona failed to capitalise on results elsewhere in La Liga after a goalless draw at Athletic Bilbao which means they stay third in the table.

The Basque side dug in from the outset with a well-organised defensive unit, looking to play on the counter.

Joao Cancelo went closest to scoring for Barca but his 40-yard effort was cleared off the line by Yeray Alvarez.

With second-placed Girona losing at Mallorca, a win for Barcelona would have seen them move up to second.

Athletic’s gameplan worked to a point, denying Barcelona clear openings, but they were unable to pose any serious threat when they did get the opportunity to break.

Portugal full-back Cancelo was inches away from putting the visitors in front midway through the first half when he met Unai Simon’s clearance first time from just inside the hosts’ half.

The goalkeeper managed to backtrack to get a hand on the effort and Alvarez then desperately hooked the ball off the line.

The pattern of play remained the same in the second half with both teams building neatly up the field but struggling to execute the right pass in the final third.

With the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie to come against Napoli on 12 March, Barcelona boss Xavi will not have been pleased to have seen Frenkie de Jong and Pedri both leave the field with injuries, the latter reduced to tears when he took his place on the bench.

Real Madrid’s 2-2 draw at Valencia on Saturday offered Barcelona hope of cutting the gap at the top to just six points.

The draw does no favours for either side with Barcelona staying third and eight adrift of Real. Fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao have dropped further off the pace of the top four as they sit five points behind Atletico Madrid, who beat Real Betis 2-1 earlier in the day.

Line-ups

अथ बिल्बो

Formation 4-2-3-1

1Simon

24Prados5Álvarez4Paredes19García de Albéniz

14García Carrillo6Vesga

9Williams30Gómez7Berenguer

12Guruzeta

• 1Simon
• 24PradosSubstituted forDe Marcosat 80’minutes
• 5 Fake
• 4 Walls
• 19García de AlbénizBooked at 65mins
• 14García CarrilloBooked at 52mins
• 6VesgaSubstituted for Ruíz de Galarretaat 63’minutes
• 9WilliamsSubstituted forAres Djalóat 76’minutes
• 30GómezSubstituted forSancetat 64’minutes
• 7BerenguerBooked at 86mins
• 12GuruzetaSubstituted forVillalibreat 76’minutes

Substitutes

• 8Sancet
• 10Muniain
• 13Agirrezabala
• 15Lekue
• 16Ruíz de Galarreta
• 18Of Mark
• 20Villalibre
• 22García
• 23 Ares Djaló
• 27Egiluz
• 31Jauregizar
• 32Rincón

Barcelona

Formation 4-3-3

1ter Stegen

23Koundé33Cubarsí4Araújo2Cancelo

22Gündogan15Christensen21F de Jong

11Raphinha9Lewandowski8Pedri

• 1ter Stegen
• 23KoundéBooked at 88mins
• 33CubarsíSubstituted forMartínezat 76’minutes
• 4AraújoBooked at 32mins
• 2Cancelo
• 22Gündogan
• 15ChristensenBooked at 62minsSubstituted forRomeuat 76’minutes
• 21F de JongSubstituted forLópezat 26’minutes
• 11RaphinhaSubstituted forJoão Félixat 76’minutes
• 9Lewandowski
• 8PedriSubstituted forYamalat 45’minutes

Substitutes

• 5 Martinez
• 13 Peña Sotorres
• 14João Félix
• 16Lopez
• 18Romeu
• 19Roque Ferreira
• 20Roberto
• 27Yamal
• 31Kochen
• 38
• 39Fort

Referee:Alejandro José Hernández Hernández

Attendance:50,295

Live Text

2024-03-03 22:30:00
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