Barcelona take back control of second spot
Barcelona leapfrogged Girona to move back into second spot in the table with victory over Real Sociedad that boosts their chances of finishing as runners-up.
A lovely goal from Lamine Yamal opened the scoring, after some great work from Robert Lewandowski and Ilkay Gundogan, before Barca finally finished it off late on with a penalty.
There was also a first clean sheet in a month to boost Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s chances of winning the Zamora trophy again.
Barcelona have been guilty of letting games slip in recent weeks but it wasn’t the case on Monday night. They may have had to wait until the 93rd minute for a second goal but Xavi was satisfied after the game.
“We have been aggressive in high pressure. We have adjusted very well. And then, in attack, we have been quite good in getting the ball out,” he said. “We have created many chances and, in general terms, I am satisfied.
“We have to prepare for the Almería game. But the good thing about today is that we depend on ourselves to finish second and for the club it is important.”
A glimpse of life without Araujo
Xavi left Ronald Araujo on the bench against Real Sociedad and opted for Inigo Martinez and Pau Cubarsi as his two center-backs for the game.
It might be mischevious to suggest it, but you couldn’t help but wonder if Xavi was thinking about life without the Uruguayan amid speculation he could be sold this summer.
Xavi’s official explanation was that Araujo needed a rest, which is fair enough, but he did also point out the competition for places in central defence.
“We have a tight schedule, with three games in three days and we do rotations, which are also good for group competition,” he told the media ahead of kick-off.
Cubarsi and Martinez didn’t look entirely comfortable, particularly in the first half, but ultimately came away with a clean sheet and all three points.
The win also made it 14 games without defeat for Xavi’s side without Araujo in the starting XI. That’s 11 wins and three draws sans the Uruguayan.
We all know selling Araujo would be a huge call by Barca as when fit he’s one of the first names on the teamsheet.
Yet the simple fact is Barca are well served for defenders and Araujo could command a large fee which could be used to patch other holes in the squad. Barca have a big decision to make.
Raphinha offers a reminder amid transfer talk
All the talk ahead of the game had been about possible moves for Nico Williams and Dani Olmo and a ‘solution’ for the left side of the attack.
There’s also been a fair bit of speculation about Barcelona trying to offload Raphinha for a big fee but he showed once again on Monday night how effective he can be.
Raphinha had several chances to score before he did finally put the nail in La Real’s coffin from the penalty spot late on to seal all three points.
That’s now five goals and four assists in his last ten matches in all competitions for Barcelona – a very healthy return indeed. He’s also now into double figures for goals and assists for the second season in a row for the Catalan giants.
The question about Raphinha’s future was put to Xavi after the game and drew the following response.
“I have already said many times that we will decide at the end of the season,” he said. “I’m happy with how he helps the team, makes differences. He is a very dynamic footballer that I like.”
Whether he stays or goes, there’s no doubt Raphinha has plenty to offer and perhaps has’t received the credit he deserves during his time at Barcelona.
