Barça fulfills in Almería with a double from Fermín
Xavi’s men leave with the second place secured from the home of a bottom player without aim
MADRID, 16 May. (EUROPA PRESS) –
FC Barcelona beat UD Almería (0-2) this Thursday on matchday 36 of LaLiga EA Sports, a match that could have complicated the relegated bottom team with a little more aim but which the Catalan team resolved with a double from Fermín López to not fail the remaining objective of second place in the table.
Xavi Hernández’s team erred on the side of conformism with an excessive tone of relaxation at times at the Power Horse Stadium. Barça monopolized the ball whenever they could but had no urgency to seek the rival goal. A header and a good shot coming from behind were Fermín’s goals, one in each half, to give his team four points to Girona, second, with six at stake.
Almería showed its problem in the areas for being relegated for a long time, despite the rise in pride since Pepe Mel arrived. The Andalusian team had three very clear chances: Leo Baptistao and Embarba, in the first half, and ‘Choco’ Lozano, two minutes after the restart. With the lead from the 14th minute, Barça trusted in their punch and emerged victorious in a match without fanfare.
Xavi’s men did their homework early, with Héctor Fort’s center and Fermín’s good header, and that did not help the visitor’s intensity. The culé team got carried away and Baptistao’s warning, after a great personal move, served as an alarm clock. Lamine Yamal was the one who fueled the Catalan game, but there were no more goals until the second half.
Barça settled for having the ball and, before the break, Embarba had another local ball that hit the post. Lozano’s at the start of the second act was even clearer, with the ball dead to finish in front of Ter Stegen, but the slow return from the locker room to Xavi’s team did not take its toll. In a burst of pride from Sergi Roberto, Fermín’s 0-2 came.
With just under half an hour left, Almería lowered their arms, including their fans, as they saw their penultimate attempt to win at home this season disappear, and Xavi’s team had no more scares in their quest for second place. The Catalan coach perhaps soon removed a Lewandowski who is fighting for the Pichichi, and brought in Joao Félix and Vitor Roque without result, both protagonists during the week of the bad marks that several Barça players receive this season.
DATASHEET.
–RESULT: UD ALMERÍA, 0 – FC BARCELONA, 2. (0-1, at half-time).
–ALIGNMENTS.
UD ALMERÍA: Maximiano; Pubill (Pozo, min.81), Chumi, César Montes, Langa; Marcos Peña, Robertone, Baptistao (Romero, min.59), Embarba (Centelles, min.80), Viera (Melero, min.69) and Choco Lozano (Luis Suárez, min.59).
FC BARCELONA: Ter Stegen; Koundé, Cubarsí, Iñigo Martínez, Héctor Fort (Cancelo, min.73); Sergi Roberto (Christensen, min.69), Pedri (Romeu, min.83), Fermín, Ferran Torres (Vitor Roque, min.73), Lamine Yamal and Lewandowski (Joao Félix, min.69).
–GOALS:
0 – 1, min.14, Fermín.
0 – 2, min.67, Fermín.
–REFEREE: Alberola Rojas (C. Castellano-La Mancha). He cautioned Vitor Roque (min.85) at Barça.
–ESTADIO: Power Horse Stadium.