MADRID (AP) – Barcelona finally got things moving and found a after goal to end its winless streak and address the international truce in a positive way.
Barcelona struggled again, but Frenkie de Jong scored in the 87th minute to salvage a 1-0 victory in Alavés, which was threatened with relegation in the Spanish Championship on Sunday, ending its streak of three winless matches that included the elimination of the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Supercup.
This victory allowed the Catalan club to take one point behind the fourth-placed Atlético Madrid to the last place in the Champions League and 15 points to the leader of the championship, Real Madrid, with a game in hand.
Madrid needed a goal from Éder Militão in the stoppages of play to get a 2-2 draw at home to Elche. Madrid are four points ahead of Sevilla at the top after a tough day for Karim Benzema, who missed a penalty and then had to be replaced due to wounds.
RELIEF after
De Jong gave Barcelona an important victory against Alavés.
“It’s a decisive victory to keep smacking us at the top,” Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández said. “The international ceasefire will be good for us. We will be able to bring some players back and work on our game.”
Barcelona had won only twice in their last 10 away matches in the championship, and there was a draw in Granada when there was in the 89th.then it lost to Madrid in the semifinals of the Spanish Supercup, and to Athletic Bilbao in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey.
“This victory gives us the confidence to continue to make great efforts and get closer to our goals,” Barcelona defender Jordi Alba said.
Barcelona were without Ansu Fati injured and also without Ousmane Dembélé, who according to the club was a “no-show” related to the team due to a stomach ache. Barcelona and Dembélé do not agree on the contract negotiations.
US defender Sergiño Dest made his first start since the beginning of December after recovering from an wounds and the coronavirus.
Alavés is winless in the last 10 league matches and occupies the penultimate place.
THE EXHAUSTING BENZEMA
Benzema’s difficulties began when he missed an opportunity from close range with the goalkeeper to punch into the surface in the first half. A few moments after, he had a new opportunity to give his team the lead from the penalty spot, but the French striker sent his shot over the crossbar.
To cap an unusually frustrating day, the Madrid goalscorer had to leave the game in the 58th because of an apparent muscle wounds. He grabbed the back of his left leg as he walked toward the locker room. There was no immediate news on the severity of the wounds.
Lucas Boyé and Pere Milla scored in each half to give Elche a 2-0 lead, but Madrid came closer with Luka Modric’s penalty in the 82nd minute, equalizing the game with the firm head of Militão on a center by Vinícius Júnior.
“It’s hard to take,” Milla said. “We had Madrid on the ropes, but we couldn’t enjoy it.”
Vinícius, who also missed some good opportunities, received a yellow card, which will see him suspended from the next match.
Madrid smack Elche 2-1 in extra time on Thursday to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey. Eden Hazard, who scored the winning goal in extra time, returned to the starting lineup on Sunday after he could not win for many minutes due to a series of injuries. Gareth Bale remained on the bench.
“We can’t be happy with the result, but it’s a credit to the way we came back to win the draw,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said.
Elche rose to five points from the relegation zone with the draw at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. He was deprived of several players due to injuries and coronavirus infections, including coach Francisco Rodríguez.
The great Madrilenian Paco Gento, who died last week at the age of 88, was honored before the match at the Bernabéu.
Tags: Benzema, home, Madrid