FCBARCELONA.CAT

11.01.2009 15:55

Hard fought win for Barça Atlètic (3-2)

Jordi Clos

Barça Atlètic has begun the second half of the season with a hard fought win over Santa Eulària, the goals coming from Maric and Pedro (2). Luis Enrique’s men are now unbeaten in eleven and still near the promotion play-off places.

Barça Atlètic have made it 11 games unbeaten on the spin with a win in their first match of the second half of the season. With coach Luis Enrique absent with a stomach bug, the team showed their best and worst sides. In the first 76 minutes they created lots of chances and scored three times, but easing up in the final 15 almost cost them the three points.

Chances for both teams

Barça Atlètic took time to get going and it was the visitors who had the early chances. Heredia forced Rubén Miño to make a fine save in the 1st minute and from the corner that followed the ball went only just wide. The Catalans fought back and a Víctor Vázquez chip hit the bar, but still Santa Eulària drove forward and Miño had to stop a cross shot in the 14th minute.

Best Barça

After the first quarter of an hour Barça’s attacking line-up took control of the game. Maric (26th min.) and Pedro (30th min) both went close before the half hour. Then the Serb made it one nil in the 34th after poor defending from a free-kick by the Balearic Islands outfit left him and Botía alone in an onside position. The defender gave the assist as Maric scored. Next up Pedro stuck home the rebound after another Vázquez strike came back off the post (40th min).

Pedro puts it away

Barça Atlètic were playing with confidence and were a joy to watch. In the 59th minute came the third goal, as Pedro left a defender on his backside by cutting inside before delicately lobbing over the keeper. It looked to be all over, and especially when Maric nearly made it four with a shot that went narrowly wide after a fine cross by Tiago.

Holding on

But as the saying goes, games last 90 minutes and Santa Eulària scored twice in two of them through Heredia and Toni Ramírez in the 76th and 77th minutes to make it 3-2. The visitors then surged forward looking for the equaliser but the Catalans just managed to hang onto their lead to the end.