A victory that is worth half League. He barca a lot was played in san mamesone of the most complicated stadiums in Spain. of losing, the real Madrid he would have gotten just six points behind and traveled to the Camp Nou next Sunday with the option of getting to three. And that could have given impetus even to dream of a comeback in Copa del Rey. However, the amount of raphinha he finished with any merengue illusion. [Athletic 0-1 Barça: narración y estadísticas].
FC Barcelona put into practice a script seen many times already this season. He managed to score, just on the brink of the break, and then dedicated himself to keeping the lead with a Ter Stegen in star mode. Without proposing anything else in attack and without the intention of making their advantage great. The team of Xavi Hernandez He feels comfortable in that position and once again scored a good goal that came with suspense.
Busquets enabled Raphinha on the right flank who shot hard with his right foot from his profile of the area. The goal was canceled for offside, but the VAR entered to correct the decision of the assistant Gil Manzano. Athletic tried it in the first half with a header from Raul Garcia that crashed into the crossbar and in the second with a shot from Berenguer which also hit the post.
The end of the game was undoubtedly its busiest phase, since Inaki Williams He managed to tie at 87′ after a brilliant counter. However, the goal was annulled at the request of the VAR for a previous hand of muniain much protested by the entire bench of ernesto valverde. In addition, in the discount, the lions had a triple occasion that did not serve to make the tie between the failure of Nico Williamsthe hand of Ter Stegen and the providential appearance of Mark Alonso. All the attempts were in vain and Barça gave La Liga a blow with this victory, as stingy as it was valuable, in San Mamés.
Barça, with just enough
Athletic jumped well onto the San Mamés pitch, pressing up the start of the play for Barça to try to steal balls in the rival field. However, the spaces behind them forced them to slow down and it is that in minute 2 they were caught in the first counter. Arrival on the right wing of the Barça team, ball into the area and ferran torres He finishes off at the far post of the volley. The ball went to the side of the net, but the fright remained in the body of the lions.
They tried to react with an approach from Nico Williams, who shot wide from distance, but once again the clear chance came from the visiting side. Ball in depth for Lewandowski’s career that stood alone in front of Agirrezabala. The Pole threw the last touch too long and the goalkeeper was able to catch the ball in a great start. Little by little, the forces were equalizing and Athletic also enjoyed good approaches.
Robert Lewandowski in a set of the game with Julen Agirrezabala
The first came in minute 24 when a mistake by Koundé was about to take advantage of Berenguer. The French center-back doubts a ball that bounces on the edge of the area, Ter Stegen stays half way out and the Athletic striker puts his boot in to take it away, but the ball went away brushing the post. However, it was after half an hour when the more serious opportunities arrived.
The first in the boots of Iñaki Williams with a shot from the front with his left foot that Ter Stegen cleared for a corner. And in the next action, a ball served from the right, Raúl García beat Busquets at the near post and his header crashed against the crossbar. The locals who had their best opportunity there lamented.
When everything seemed seen for judgment in the first half, overturned the prominence in some stands of San Mamés that rebuked Barça with chants of “corruption” and “Second” while bills were thrown with the culé shield, the only goal of the game arrived . Great play by Busquets up front. The midfielder, after several cuts, finds Raphinha on the right side of the area and he, with a dry shot, beats Julen. At first, the goal was annulled for offside. However, the VAR intervened and validated the goal that came in the added time of the first half.
The Barça resists with controversy
The second part had a completely different script. Athletic ran out of gasoline much sooner than expected and did not push as hard as in the first half. Barça was able to play much more comfortably for a good part of the minutes, moving the ball in areas where it didn’t hurt, but where it didn’t risk either.
This is how the minutes went by at the start of the second half that was very hampered by stoppages, fouls and protests. There were almost no approaches. Just one from Robert Lewandowski with a header to the near post after a great personal action from Bucket by left wing. The Spanish full-back dribbled past several defenders and put it from the bottom line so that the Polish header brushed the post.
It wasn’t until minute 72 when Athletic woke up. And he did it as a result of a play by Alex Berenguer on the left wing. He beat her back Sergi Roberto, entered the area from the left-handed flank and fired dry at the short post. A touch from Christensen prevented the goal causing the ball to crash, for the second time, against the post.
Alex Berenguer fights a ball with Gavi
That was the first notice of an Athletic that no longer stopped arriving and that locked Barça in its area. The second great opportunity came after a shot from muniain from the front. The Athletic legend, who had completed 405 games with the red and white shirt, came out in the second half and stirred up the game. On this occasion he shot from the left corner of the area looking for the thread to the far post, but only found the flight of an imperial Ter Stegen who became a hero.
It was the prelude to the most eventful ending possible. In minute 88 came the great controversy. Iñaki Williams receives a long ball after a fight between Dejong and Muniain. The Guinean striker wins over the Barça defense, stands alone in front of Ter Stegen and beats him easily. Valid goal, or so it seemed, since the VAR came in and the mess started. From the review room they told Gil Manzano that he should consult the monitor to see a possible hand from Muniain in that previous dispute. The referee saw the action again and annulled the goal.
The Athletic players and the fans in San Mamés could not believe what was happening, but they had 7 minutes of added time to achieve the tie. And they had it in their hand with an incredible triple occasion. Again Williams speeds up a ball on the right wing and puts up an unbeatable death pass for his brother Nico to push it, but he misses the mark. In the rejection, yuri He shoots point blank and finds the great intervention of Ter Stegen. There was even a third shot, but Mark Alonso He managed to get it out with an imperial header under the sticks to tie up a victory that could be worth a League. Barça will arrive at the Clásico with their 9-point advantage intact.
Athletic Club 0-1 Barça
Agirrezabala; De Marcos (Capa, 84′), Vivian, Iñigo Martínez, Balenziaga (Yuri, 70′); Dani García, Vesga (Zarraga, 64′); Nico Williams, Raúl García (Muniain, 64′), Berenguer (Guruzeta, 84′); and Inaki Williams.
Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Sergi Roberto (Marcos Alonso, 84′), Koundé, Christensen, Balde; Sergio Busquets, Frenkie de Jong, Gavi (Alarcón, 94′); Raphinha (Ansu Fati, 84′), Ferran Torres (Kessie, 67′) and Lewandowski.
goals: 0-1, 45′ Rafinha.
referees: Jesús Gil Manzano (Extremadura School). He showed yellow cards to the locals Iñaki Williams (29′) and Zarraga (86′), and to the visitor Sergi Roberto (76′).
VAR referee: José Luis González González (Castilla y León Committee).
incidents: LaLiga Santander matchday 25 match played at San Mamés in front of 49,741 spectators, a record attendance at the new San Mamés. official data.
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