Barça takes a dangerous downturn in Almería

Barça takes a dangerous downturn in Almería

The leader falls (1-0) without discussion after his goodbye in Europe and before the Cup against Real Madrid

MADRID, 26 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) -

FC Barcelona stumbled (1-0) this Sunday in their visit to UD Almería on matchday 23 of LaLiga Santander, a false step as a hangover from the elimination in the Europa League that cuts their lead difference to seven points over the real Madrid.

Xavi Hernández's team had gone 12 league games without losing and, until Thursday against Manchester United, 18 games without losing. The Barça project took another false step at the Power Horse Stadium, softened because Madrid had only drawn against Atlético on Saturday, but resounding due to the missed opportunity and the bad image of a defeated Barça with the goal from El Bilal.

The golden opportunity was not accompanied by a state of happiness and Barça missed the option of getting 10 points behind Real Madrid. Xavi Hernández's men were a team without dangers, missing Dembélé, Pedri or Araujo, against an Almería who nailed it and went to halftime with the 1-0 score.

Between the rotation, forced in some cases, and the hangover of the European elimination, Barça suffered from the beginning against an Almería well advanced and with clear ideas to block the game culé. The leader was not very fierce, not once in the first half, and he did not defend himself well with many novelties in that area.

Rubi's men needed to be more specific up top and Barça seemed to breathe at least recovering the ball, although they did not know what to do with it. Xavi's men did not find Lewandowski, Ferran had a couple of solo wars and it was Sergi Roberto who had the two balls to hurt his rival, but he did not take advantage of them by any means.

All in all, Almería continued to win every duel and, in a serious outing from their field, Ely recovering the ball, Luis Suárez and El Bilal connected wonderfully for the African's great goal in the 24th minute (1-0). Barça had no reaction, in fact Ter Stegen had to save a stunt by Leo Baptistao, and in the second half he didn't invent gunpowder either. The arrivals by bands gave some depth to the visitors but the local defense remained attentive.

Raphinha's entry helped the culé game to be closer to Fernando's goal, but there was no shot, again with Sergi Roberto as a false nine. The tangle of Almería forced Barça to play outside and the centers, in addition to not being good for the most part, did not rent. Araujo was Xavi's offensive option, with casualties and pulling from homegrown players like Torre and Alarcón, and the truth is that the Uruguayan had the clearest, but he did not finish off a cross from Ferran.

Barça rushed and from a possible 10, the leader's income goes to 7, with a shadow of dangerous depression when the most important thing remains and on top of that he has the controversy of the 'Negreira case' on top. Next up, the first leg of the Cup semifinal against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu on Thursday. Almería, after three defeats, responds to the triumphs of their rivals from below and stays out of relegation with their first historical victory over Barça.

--RESULT: ALMERÍA, 1 - FC BARCELONA, 0. (1-0, at halftime).

ALMERIA: Fernando; Chumi, Ely, Babic, Akeme; Eguaras (Samú Costa, min.83), De la Hoz, Robertone (Embarba, min.76); Baptistao (Pozo, min.83), El Bilal (Kaiky Melo, min.89) and Luis Suárez (Ramazani, min.76).

FC BARCELONA: Ter Stegen; Sergi Roberto (Pablo Torre, min.76), Eric (Araujo, min.67), Christensen, Jordi Alba (Marcos Alonso, min.67); Busquets (Ángel Alarcón, min.76), De Jong, Kessié (Raphinha, rest); Ferran, Lewandowski and Gavi.

1 - 0, min.24, El Bilal.

--REFEREE: Ortiz Arias (C.Madrileno). He admonished Robertone (min.48), Chumi (min.53) and Fernando (min.87) for Almería. Eric (min.35), Raphinha (min.54) and Gavi (min.57) at Barça.

--STADIUM: Power Horse Stadium. 15,279 viewers.