New episode of the soap opera ‘LaLiga es del Bara’. There are six chapters left to go and the plot barely changes in the script. The end is known to all and it will not be a dream as in Los Serrano. Xavi’s team has been the most regular in the championship, the numbers don’t lie. Three defeats in 32 games and only 11 goals against show that it has not been a dream, if not a palpable and evident reality. If they are not champions in the derby against Espanyol, they will be a day later against Real Sociedad at the Camp Nou. Against Betis they won with much more ease than expected after Christensen’s 1-0 win after fifteen minutes and the subsequent expulsion of Edgar.
Xavi continues to recover pieces for this final stretch. He already has De Jong and Pedri, against Betis Christensen returned -goal included- and Dembl also had minutes coming off the bench. Little by little, the Terrassa coach is recovering the eleven that has given him the most confidence. Betis is deflating as the days go by and will lose their sixth place if Athletic win in Palma on Monday. Since Fekir’s injury, the downturn is more than evident and he has lost the wide advantage he had over his rivals in the fight for a European position. At the Camp Nou they went through an ordeal playing with 10 for an hour and with everything resolved at half-time: 3-0 with goals from Christensen, Lewandowski and Raphinha.
Bara have won this League from defense with excellent numbers. Ter Stegen added his 24th clean sheet of the season against Betis -an absolute record for the Barça entity- and has in Kound, Araujo, Christensen and Balde a luxury defense and for many years so it is not very understandable that they want to incorporate, even if it is without cost, a 32-year-old central defender who does not see a place in the team. Busquets and his future, the great unknown to be resolved in the coming months, has also been decisive at the controls, as have Lewandowski’s goals to form a perfect cocktail that has led to the league title. Of course, we do not speak of Europe. He did not give.
The doubt of the second part was to know if the Bara wanted to draw blood or speculate with the result. He has won many games by the minimum and against the bticos they were having a round game. The second option won for almost everyone, not for Lewandowski. The Pole was threatened by Benzema’s three goals against Almera and eagerly sought to distance himself again as leader of Pichichi. The former Bayern player scored one in the first half and in the second he wanted to repeat with any ball that reached his feet. He first took a ball from De Jong -when the Dutchman was in a better position- but he couldn’t with Rui Silva; then the post avoided his double and that’s where his statistics stayed. He leads the madridista by two goals and this is one more reason for emotion for the final matches.
Joaqun’s record is in danger
The departure of Joaqun, who said goodbye to the Camp Nou and was cheered as he left the stands, was the only positive note for Beticismo. The man from Puerto de Santa María added another match on his way to beating Zubizarreta as the player with the most LaLiga matches but after a few minutes he was injured and this record is in danger. If the ovation for Joaqun was good, the one received by Dembl surpassed it. The Frenchman’s return was expected by Barcelona, unfortunately for a Raphinha who saw his minutes reduced despite his good games. The báticos -with nine in the last 10 minutes- tried to keep the win from getting out of hand, but they couldn’t help it. Guido Rodrguez, scored on his own goal after a cross from Ansu Fati.
Lamine Yamal debut
The Camp Nou party came to a close when Xavi made his debut for cadet Lamine Yamal, only 15 years old. And the kid showed his quality, especially in a bounced pass over Dembl that Rui Silva disrupted. The marker did not move any more and Bara was finally able to close a round match that would make it clear who the champion is.
