In a droop and going through the freshest group in Spain, Barcelona got here thru with a very powerful win for its identify hopes and quelled any fears of a past due cave in.
Barcelona ended a three-game winless streak — and Atletico Madrid’s 13-game unbeaten run — with a hard-fought 1-0 win on Sunday to stick on target for its first Spanish league identify in 4 years. The house win restored the group’s relaxed 11-point lead over Actual Madrid with 8 rounds last.
The victory additionally halted a six-game profitable streak via Atletico, which misplaced flooring to Madrid within the battle for moment position. Madrid, which is concentrated at the Champions League and the Copa del Rey ultimate, beat Celta Vigo 2-0 at house on Saturday.
Ferran Torres scored a Forty fourth-minute winner at Camp Nou with a well-placed low shot from simply within the house to finish Barcelona’s contemporary issues coming into the general stretch.
It hadn’t scored in 3 instantly video games after being humiliated at house via Madrid 4-0 within the Copa del Rey semifinals and held to scoreless attracts towards modest league combatants in Girona and Getafe.
Barcelona’s Sergio Busquets, left, duels for the ball with Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann all over a Spanish Los angeles Liga football event between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, on the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, April 23, 2023. (AP Photograph/Joan Mateu)
“We needed to win it doesn’t matter what, it was once a very powerful event to stay us on target to profitable the league,” Torres stated. “It was once tricky, towards a group that was once unbeaten in 13 suits and that was once certainly one of the freshest groups this season.”
It was once the twenty third blank sheet within the league for Barcelona, which final gained the league identify in 2019. It has conceded handiest 9 objectives in 30 league suits this season.
3rd-place Atletico, which has the second-best protection with 22 objectives conceded, trails Madrid via 5 issues.
It was once the 3rd instantly win via Barcelona over Diego Simeone’s group, whose final win towards the Catalan membership was once in 2021. Atletico is winless at Camp Nou in 17 consecutive league suits. Its final league loss this season have been at Barcelona in January.
“They deserved the victory as a result of they had been extra environment friendly,” Simeone stated. “We had our possibilities however didn’t profit from them.”
Atletico, the 2021 champion, threatened first with a shot via Antoine Griezmann that hit the crossbar 3 mins into the event.
Atletico struggled early within the season, briefly falling out of rivalry for the league identify and completing its Champions League workforce in final position, but it surely have been the freshest group in Spain in 2023.
Barcelona trainer Xavi had the go back of Pedri and Frenkie de Jong when they ignored a number of suits on account of accidents.
SEVILLA’S MOMENTUM
Youssef En-Nesyri scored a winner 4 mins into stoppage time as Sevilla saved its momentum with a 2-1 win over Villarreal at house.
It was once the 3rd victory in a row for Sevilla, which eradicated Manchester United within the Europa League midweek. It moved to twelfth.
Villarreal stayed 6th after its moment instantly loss and ignored a possibility to transport nearer to the Champions League puts.
RELIEF FOR VALENCIA
Valencia took a step ahead in its battle towards relegation with a 2-0 win at last-place Elche.
The end result ended Valencia’s 10-match winless streak in away suits within the league. It had misplaced 8 in a row at the street.
Valencia stayed in 18th position with the similar issues as Seventeenth-place Almeria, the primary group out of doors the relegation zone.
Elche is 17 issues from protection.
GETAFE IN DANGER
South Korean midfielder Lee Kang-in scored a couple of second-half objectives as Mallorca got here from in the back of to overcome relegation-threatened Getafe 3-1 at house.
Mallorca moved to tenth position, whilst Getafe dropped to sixteenth and one level from the relegation zone.