Barcelona Saturday briefly went 15 factors clear high of La Liga with a commanding 4-0 win away win at Elche, impressed by their high striker Robert Lewandowski’s double.
Earlier Lucas Ocampos and Youssef En-Nesyri struck to earn new Sevilla coach Jose Luis Mendilibar an important 2-0 victory over relegation rivals Cadiz in his first recreation in cost.
Barca’s Polish ahead Lewandowski has endured a small dip in type just lately however was again to his deadly greatest to proceed the Catalans’ procession towards their first title since 2019.
Ansu Fati additionally scored for the primary time since October within the league and Ferran Torres rounded out the snug win, as Xavi was capable of begin some reserve gamers forward of Wednesday’s Copa del Rey semi-final conflict with Real Madrid.
Elche, enjoying below new coach Sebastian Beccacece for the primary time, are backside of the desk and by no means appeared more likely to hassle the runaway league leaders. Champions Madrid, second, hosts Real Valladolid on Sunday.
“We’ll see what Madrid do tomorrow, (but) if we win our games, we will be champions,” Eric Garcia instructed Movistar.
“The coach told us all at the start of the season, everyone is important.”
“We have an important game on Wednesday and he was able to rest some players.”
Barca coach Xavi took the prospect to experiment by deploying Garcia in Sergio Busquets’ traditional pivot position and made a number of different adjustments to his traditional aspect.
Torres and Fati began on the flanks, the latter having made headlines this week after his father complained concerning the Barca quantity 10’s lack of minutes.
“(Goals) always give confidence to the forwards, today it went perfectly,” Xavi instructed Movistar.
“Two objectives for Robert, one for Ferran, one for Ansu, and Ansu’s work – he ended up exhausted, that is the reality.
“Aside from the objective, that could be very constructive for him and his confidence, how he labored for the staff, it is actually vital for me, and the objective is a consequence of his work and his expertise.
“I’m especially happy for Ferran, Ansu, the players that maybe deserved goals, today they scored.”
Lewandowski double
Lewandowski broke the impasse after 20 minutes together with his first objective in 4 league matches, scuffing a end into the bottom, with the ball looping over a defender and into the web.
The Polish worldwide and the highest goalscorer within the league grabbed his sixteenth and seventeenth strikes of the marketing campaign – he has 27 throughout all competitions.
Barcelona ought to have elevated their lead within the first half however Lewandowski nodded over and Jules Kounde had an effort cleared off the road.
Gavi pulled the strings and Garcia was stable in midfield as Barca secured a twentieth clear sheet of the season within the high flight.
Fati stretched Barcelona’s benefit 10 minutes into the second half, driving ahead from the midway line and drilling into the underside nook.
Lewandowski pounced once more after Gavi gained the ball again for the third after which arrange Torres, who drifted inside and slotted house the fourth.
Xavi handed midfielder Aleix Garrido, 19, his debut within the last levels.
Elche are 14 factors from security with 11 matches remaining.
Solid Sevilla
The Andalusian derby between Cadiz and Sevilla was an early check for Mendilibar, who changed Jorge Sampaoli within the worldwide break.
His staff rose to the problem with a back-to-basics show to maneuver into mid-table, successful on the highway in La Liga for the primary time since October.
Sevilla struggled to create possibilities in a good first half which the hosts shaded, however Ocampos broke the impasse quickly after the break on a rebound from a nook.
En-Nesyri completed effectively to double his staff’s lead after Bryan Gil cushioned the ball into his path with a pleasant contact.
Sevilla climbed to thirteenth, 5 factors above the relegation zone, whereas Cadiz are sixteenth, two factors away from the drop.
Girona, tenth, snatched a 2-1 win in a Catalan derby conflict with Espanyol, leaving the Pericos seventeenth, a degree above the relegation zone.
Getafe earned a creditable 0-0 draw at Athletic Bilbao and sits 14th.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
