Recently, despite announcing that they would leave their position as Barcelona’s coach after the season, Xavi is feeling extra pressure. Following their first attempt to secure a victory against Celta Vigo on Saturday with a 2-1 win, Robert Lewandowski converted a penalty kick into a goal during stoppage time, relieving some pressure on the club before the Champions League playoffs.
In Short
Penalty Retake
Initially, Celta’s goalkeeper, Vincent Guaita, saved Lewandowski’s first attempt, but the Polish striker was awarded a penalty retake as it was determined in a video review that Guaita had moved off his goal-line before Lewandowski’s shot.
In the seventh minute of stoppage time, an experienced player curled the ball into the corner to secure a win for Barcelona, following a home draw against Granada in the previous round, a game where their fans had mocked him.
Lewandowski stops right before taking the penalty, still misses!
— Rk (@RkFutbol) February 17, 2024
But instead ref let’s Lewandowski take the penalty again
I’ve never seen corruption as bad as this in my life 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/5GXXvRoamP
Lewandowski commented, “I don’t know what happened with the first penalty, but the goalkeeper was clearly off the line and I got the chance to score again as always in the second penalty.” He continued, “Getting these three points was crucial for us, and now we can focus on the Champions League.”
Barcelona to Naples
In the Round of 16, Barcelona will travel to Naples. After being eliminated twice in a row in the group stage, they have returned to the UEFA Champions League knockout stage.
Despite announcing his departure as Barcelona’s coach after the season, Xavi has been under additional pressure. Since his announcement, the team has earned 10 out of 12 possible points.
Real Madrid’s Position
Real Madrid, who leads La Liga, is now seven points ahead of Barcelona. Real Madrid might go to Rayo Vallecano on Sunday and increase their lead to ten points. In addition, they trail Girona, who will play Athletic Bilbao on Monday, by two points.
Also Read : “Real Madrid’s Champions League Triumph: Brahim Diaz Shines, Filling Void Left by Absent England Star”
With a three-point gap from fourth-placed Atletico Madrid, who defeated Las Palmas 5-0, Barcelona has moved up.
Lewandowski has pushed Barcelona ahead with his third goal in three matches. Before sending a cross-shot into the far corner, he expertly controlled Lammin Yamal’s pass.
Celta equalized at the start of the second half after Iago Aspas’s low shot, which deflected off Barcelona defender Jules Kounde.
Rafa Benitez, the manager of Celta, had lost five of his previous six games in all competitions, but his team was still three points above the relegation zone in 17th position. They had lost 3-2 to Getafe in the previous round after giving up a goal in the 89th minute.
Goalkeeper and defense
Marc-Andre ter Stegen (6/10):
Couldn’t do much about Celta’s deflected strike. Otherwise, did okay.
Jules Kounde (4/10):
Attempted to stop Celta’s attempts and inadvertently turned it into Ter Stegen’s path. Was a bit lax in his usual play and was causing some damage to his team with some careless touches and misplaced passes.
Ronald Araujo (7/10):
A fantastic explosion of pace denied Celta an almost certain goal in the first half. Stable throughout and better than recent weeks. Removed with a clear knock, which will be a concern.
Pedri (6/10):
Involved less in the play as the number 10. Did well when he had the ball, but Barcelona didn’t feed him enough.
Attack
Lammin Yamal (7/10):
Usually active on the wing, although his final ball was lacking quality. Assisted Lewandowski’s early goal and won an important penalty.
Robert Lewandowski (8/10):
A mixed performance in terms of general play, but when it mattered, he was crucial. Linked up well with Yamal, scoring both goals. Finding some form.
Víctor Roca (5/10):
Misused his chances to come from the left. Substituted off after an hour without much impact.
Atletico rebounds
Atletico put an end to their three-game winless streak with a win over Las Palmas, right in time for the Champions League playoff. In the Round of 16, Atletico will face Inter Milan.
At the Metropolitan Stadium, Marcos Llorente and Angel Correa scored two goals each, while Memphis Depay added another. Despite Coach Simon’s decision to rotate the team ahead of the trip to Milan on Tuesday, Atletico secured an easy victory. Forward Antoine Griezmann and midfielder Rodrigo de Paul were on the bench due to injury, while striker Alvaro Morata was sidelined.
The team’s effort pleased us, Correa added after picking up an assist. “Everything went well for us.”
“Despite clinching victories in three out of their recent five league encounters, Las Palmas maintained their position in the 11th spot, yet found themselves excluded from the contention for European spots.” In addition, Ante Budimir scored twice in the second half on Saturday to assist Osasuna in defeating Cadiz 2-0. Cadiz have now lost 23 games in a row across all competitions.
Sevilla and Valencia’s match resulted in a scoreless tie. Sevilla, having won their previous two matches, climbed to 14th position. Valencia occupied the ninth position.
