MADRID: Barcelona are in sight of Los angeles Liga’s peak 4 once more after 19-year-old Nico Gonzalez scored a past due winner to seal a much-needed victory over Elche sooner than Atletico Madrid had been overwhelmed by means of Sevilla. Nico’s strike got here after the 22-year-old Ferran Jutgla, making his complete debut, and the 17-year-old Gavi had previous given Barca a two-goal lead at Camp Nou.

However Elche scored two times in 96 seconds in a while after the hour as Tete Morente and Pere Milla pulled the guests degree, just for Nico to pull Barcelona to a 3-2 victory. And the end result were given even higher for Barca’s top-four chase after Atletico misplaced 2-1 away at Sevilla, Lucas Ocampos smashing house within the 88th minute on the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan to consign Atleti to a 3rd consecutive league defeat.

“It’s a troublesome second however I’m calm,” stated Diego Simeone. “I believe within the squad we’ve got.” Barcelona are actually 7th, two issues in the back of Atletico and 3 in the back of Rayo Vallecano in fourth, but having performed one sport fewer than Rayo. Sevilla are 2d, 5 issues in the back of Actual Madrid, who play at house to Cadiz on Sunday. Gavi’s target made him Barcelona’s 3rd youngest ever scorer in Los angeles Liga at 17 years and 135 days, more youthful even than Lionel Messi when he opened his account elderly 17 years and 331 days.

Jutgla additionally registered his first skilled target, after coming off the bench closing weekend towards Osasuna after which scoring towards Boca Juniors on Tuesday within the Maradona Cup, an exhibition fit held in honor of Diego Maradona. Nico’s target finished some other thrilling night time for Barca’s younger weapons, lower than per week after Xavi stated his veterans had to do extra, insisting they might no longer depend at the subsequent technology to ship each and every week. “Gavi, Nico, Abde, (Ronald) Araujo, (Alex) Balde, they’re the way forward for the membership,” Xavi stated. “I performed right here when I used to be 18 and I used to be scared however they let their persona display.”

Spectacular Gavi

Gavi, regardless that, was once in particular spectacular, {the teenager} scoring a excellent person target within the first half of, sooner than then helping Nico’s winner past due in the second one. “What’s sudden is his age, he’s 17 and glance how he competes,” stated Xavi. “These days he made the adaptation with a target and an lend a hand. Greater than anything else his paintings is impressive. We’re satisfied to have him and I don’t wish to examine him to someone. There’s no ceiling for him.” Barcelona had been cruising once they scored two times in 3 mins. Jutgla had already proven a pointy end early on however was once offside sooner than he headed in Ousmane Dembele’s swinging nook on the entrance submit within the sixteenth minute.

And within the nineteenth, it was once two, Gavi with a impressive target to place his workforce in regulate. He noticed Omar Mascarell drawing near in the back of him when Clement Lenglet performed the ball and he flicked it together with his proper foot clear of his marker, his frame spinning away into the distance. Gavi drove ahead and when he reached the threshold of the field, fired the ball low into the nook. However Elche had openings at the ruin and it was once two substitutes that dragged them again into the sport simply after the hour.

First, a excellent counter-attack started down the left as Dembele’s press was once overwhelmed too simply and Lucas Boye did smartly to stay the ball in off the road. He switched it proper to Morente, who smashed in. Simplest 96 seconds had handed sooner than they had been celebrating once more, Morente freed once more down the appropriate and this time crossing to the again submit the place Milla’s header may just handiest be palmed in off the submit by means of Marc-Andre ter Stegen. Frenkie de Jong, related with an go out within the January switch window, departed to whistles within the 76th minute however a aggravating setting grew to become joyous within the eighty fifth.

Gavi was once on the center of it once more, a neat one-two with Dembele sending {the teenager} to the road, the place he had the composure to tug again for Nico who poked in at the stretch. Atletico virtually took some extent from Sevilla after Felipe cancelled out a shocking target from Ivan Rakitic sooner than half-time. However Sevilla snatched victory on the finish, Jules Kounde conserving the ball alive on the again submit after a scramble within the field, which allowed Ocampos to slam in from shut vary. —AFP