MADRID: Barcelona and Atletico Madrid rejoined L. a. Liga’s best 4 on Sunday after Barca wanted a past due penalty to overcome Elche 2-1 sooner than Atletico defeated Actual Betis 3-1, Joao Felix scoring two times on the Benito Villamarin. It’s the first time Barcelona and Atletico have each been in L. a. Liga’s Champions League qualification spots since August.
Atletico have struggled for solidity and consistency since successful the identify final season whilst Barca are nonetheless convalescing from a monetary disaster and the departure of Lionel Messi. But each groups will probably be rising in self belief that they may be able to now succeed in their minimal function, which is to keep away from lacking out at the Champions League subsequent season and the additional monetary injury that will purpose.
Barca at the moment are 3rd, stage on issues with Atletico in fourth, however having performed a recreation fewer. They may each fancy their possibilities of completing 2d, with stuttering Sevilla handiest seven issues in entrance. Atletico’s win over Betis was once in particular vital given Betis began the day in 3rd and feature regarded the most commonly most likely applicants to disenchanted the established best 4.
Felix, who was once once more most popular to Luis Suarez, has 4 objectives in his final 4 video games. “Everybody wishes time. We ask the whole lot from Joao and he’s doing it,” Diego Simeone mentioned. Barcelona, in the meantime, needed to come from at the back of on the Martinez Valero after Fidel capitalized on a Pedri error, just for Barca to come back storming again thank you to 2 substitutes. Ferran Torres diverted in from shut vary at the hour sooner than Memphis Depay scored an 84th-minute penalty after the striker had drawn Elche’s Antonio Barragan right into a handball.
“It appeared we have been going to lose a recreation we didn’t need to lose,” mentioned Barca trainer Xavi Hernandez. “We deserved to win via multiple target.” Victory continues an excellent run of shape for Xavi’s aspect, who’ve now not misplaced within the league since December and got here into this recreation at the again of scoring 4 instances in 3 consecutive video games for the primary time since 2017. When Xavi was once appointed in November, Barcelona sat 9th.
‘On proper trail’
“We’ve 4 wins in a row, this has now not took place for a very long time, it’s a just right signal,” mentioned Xavi. “The avid gamers consider in what we’re doing. We’re at the proper trail.” Barcelona had the simpler of the probabilities within the first 1/2, the most efficient of them falling to Frenkie de Jong, who darted in at the back of however failed to overcome Edgar Badia. Then Ousmane Dembele sprinted transparent and his lifted shot was once parried out to De Jong, whose follow-up was once cleared off the road via Diego Gonzalez.
Elche then landed a sucker-punch a minute sooner than half-time as Barca didn’t take care of a straight-forward goal-kick downfield and amid the confusion, Pedri poked the ball again, previous his personal protection and thru to Fidel. Fidel took a slightly and fired into the a long way nook. Barcelona equalized at the hour as Dembele drove to the road and hung up a go. Jordi Alba was once not able to catch the ball cleanly however Torres was once completely positioned to influence in.
Elche have been tiring, Barca pushing for a winner and within the 82nd minute they were given their likelihood as Depay wriggled round Barragan, the ball popped up and Barragan instinctively lifted his arm to satisfy it. Depay swept the penalty into the highest nook. Atletico have been forward after 75 seconds in Seville as Jan Oblak’s punt downfield was once flicked onto Angel Correa, who took merit of a few torpid Betis protecting to go to Felix, the striker given a very easy end.
Betis levelled within the 5th minute of injury-time on the finish of the primary 1/2 after Hector Herrera was once robbed of the ball beneath power from Youssouf Sabaly and Cristian Tello guided the unfastened ball brilliantly into the nook. Felix struck once more at the hour when Marcos Llorente raced in at the back of and picked out the Portuguese with a cut-back sooner than Thomas Lemar added a 3rd with 10 mins left, sidefooting in after an electrical Antoine Griezmann run down the suitable to safe victory. – AFP