Liga, Barcelona overwhelms Athletic Bilbao

A Barça increasingly launched continues the race in the Champions area, with third place now just a stone’s throw away. All thanks to the 4-0 with which Xavi’s team liquidated the Athletic Bilbao practice, thus achieving the fourth success in the last five days. Aubameyang’s first home seal arrives at the Camp Nou, a good one to cap off a great week after the three goals signed between Valencia and Naples. An evening of redemption instead for Dembélé, who transforms the whistles (copious at his entry into the field) into applause within just 6 ‘, putting the result in the safe before the definitive flashes of Luuk De Jong and Depay at the end. The success against Athletic brings Barça back to arm with the Colchoneros, only one point below the third place occupied by Betis (now defeated in the derby with Sevilla), but with a game still to be recovered.

CONSTANT GROWTH

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Only two variations for Xavi compared to the eleven that has spread Napoli: Alves for the suspended Jordi Alba and Gavi for the great protagonist at Diego Armando Maradona, De Jong, to whom the coach gives a little rest. For the rest, it is Barça himself who has found the right place for a few weeks now, with a precise offensive-inspired game imprint. The ball turns quickly and precisely thanks to the casual dribble of Pedri, Gavi and Busquets, with a Ferran Torres particularly on the ball from the very first minutes. The Catalans do not take much to crush Athletic in their own half and around the 15 ‘the opportunities begin to flood. The one who wastes Gavi on 18 ‘from Ferran Torres’ low shot center cries out for revenge, but the Blaugrana are distant relatives of those who just over a month ago surrendered to Marcelino’s team in extra time saying goodbye to the King’s Cup.

STRAPOTERE BLAUGRANA

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Definitely a completely different music, also thanks to an offensive structure that was finally well-matched after the arrivals in January of Ferran Torres, Traoré and Aubameyang. If the first is the constant thorn in the side of the Basque defense, the former Arsenal is instead the designated punisher, deadly at the first opportunity: Piqué’s header rejected by the crossbar and the Gabonese’s acrobatic turn, which in the 36th minute legitimizes the clear superiority blaugrana in the first part with over 72% possession of the ball. Marcelino decides to run for cover from the start of the second half with two changes, but the symphony does not change. Barça commands rhythm and play, sinks the blow when they find space and throws three giant opportunities to the wind to definitively close the accounts, above all a right by Ferran Torre hypnotized face to face with Simon in the 63rd minute. Not bad, because the whistled Dembélé takes care of it, scoring 6 ‘after entering the field with a left foot of rare power and precision under the intersection. And it doesn’t end there, because between 90 ‘and 94’ the Frenchman also packs two assists for the third and fourth goals of the evening, the work of Luuk de Jong and Depay. Nineteenth goal in the last six games, third consecutive poker, fifth result in a row in the league and fourth place firmly in hand for Xavi’s ranks.