Barcelona 2-0 Almeria: Piqué retires with a victory

Easy victory for Barça which is worth the primacy (albeit momentary) in the emotional setting of farewell to Gerard Piqué, in his last match in the Blaugrana shirt in front of his fans. Almeria looks like a sacrificial victim, but the Catalans take 48 minutes to resolve the matter after a missed penalty in the opening minutes. To decide the challenge are the seals of Dembélé (fourth center in the league) and De Jong, who fix the result at 2-0 in the first quarter of an hour of the second half. So Barça sleeps at the top of La Liga for at least two nights, waiting for the match on Monday night between Real Madrid and Rayo. Applause for the defender to whom Xavi gave his last presence as a starter with the captain’s armband on his arm.

THE LAST OF PIQUè

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Piqué’s announcement had taken everyone by surprise, including the club, but 48 hours were enough to organize a heartfelt tribute to that idol who wore the Blaugrana shirt for 14 and a half years, winning the beauty of 30 titles. From the choirs of the Camp Nou, which for one day has put aside the whistles of the last few months, to the special jersey with a dedication on the chest (“Sempr3”) in clear reference to the number used by the Catalan. But the best was reserved after the final whistle, when a video with the most significant moments of Piqué’s career was projected on the Camp Nou monitors. Closing with an emotional crowd bath and a long lap of honor around the pitch.

SUPERIORITY MANIFEST

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Referee Fuertes’ initial whistle kicked off a long Blaugrana monologue against a crushed Almeria in his own area. The attacks of Dembélé and Ferran, the constant overlaps of Baldé and Alba, but also Pedri’s lucid play between the lines quickly brought the guests to their knees, who in the first 45 ‘remained afloat only thanks to the prodigious saves of Fernando ( five), a miraculous save by Kaiky on the line (on Ferran’s left-footed shot) and a wasted penalty by Lewandowski (Kaiky’s foul). Ferrer’s troop, on the other hand, was seen only once by Ter Stegen, the result of a counterattack born from a lost ball in midfield, but Ramazani was hypnotized by the German goalkeeper. After the fright, the Catalans resumed grinding the ball game on the ground and adjusting their aim to the deserved advantage at the start of the second half thanks to a great play by Dembélé: attack on the right front, return movement to send two defenders out of bounds and winning left at the far post.

CURTAIN

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The Frenchman, however, is a cross and a delight and Barça has had to postpone the doubling after a colossal mistake with the door wide open. Fortunately for Xavi that the wait lasted just six minutes, those that passed from the French mistake (56 ‘) to the winning tap-in of De Jong (62’), the quickest to collect the rejection on an attempt by Ansu Fati . Game closed and archived, with the last half hour good for the repeated attempts of Ansu Fati and Raphinha, in vain in search of personal glory. At 83 ‘the awaited catwalk of Piqué, who left the pitch with shining eyes amidst the choirs and applause of the Camp Nou.

The speech

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The tears continued even after the game. The Catalan, after a long tour of the field, picked up a microphone and spoke to his people: “In life, when you grow up you understand that loving is also knowing how to separate. I understood that after so much love it was time to say goodbye, but I’m sure I’ll come back in the future. I was born here and I’ll die here. Long live Barça, always. “