13.12.2008 19:37
Jeffren returns with brace (4-0)
www.fcbarcelona.cat
Luis Enrique’s side cruised to 4-0 victory against Valencian outfit Oriola. The result stretches Barça Atlètic’s unbeaten run to eight games, and they now have 23 points in the table.
Luis Enrique gave a surprise place to Jeffren in the side after the player had missed three months
through injury. It was a risk, but with striker Pedro missing, the gamble paid off and Jeffren
posted a man of the match performance.
Jeffren, 2 goals in 2 minutes
Very little of note happened in the first 25 minutes, with Barça Atlètic in control but
creating no danger. It was not until the 33rd minute that a splendid pass from Israeli Gai fed
Jeffren with the chance to score. His strike was met with a slight deflection off the Oriola
defence, which was enough to confuse visiting keeper Alberto and put Barça Atlètic a goal ahead.
Far from relaxing after that, Jeffren immediately after made it two, latching onto a
defensive error from Oriola, and converting expertly to make it 2-0.
Verdés gets first for Barça Atlètic
In injury time in the first half, Víctor Vázquez played a
killer pass into the six-yard box, and Alberto’s dodgy clearance created confusion among
Oriola’s defensive ranks, which Verdés took advantage of to nod home the third.
Holding on
With the score at 3-0 it was just a case of holding on in the second half. Oriola caused some
danger with a free kick that Benja headed nicely, only for Barça stopper Miño to turn the ball
behind for a corner.
The home side’s first chance of the second half fell to Gai Assulin, who broke though
on a one-on-one with Alberto, but the visiting keeper produced a great save to set Barça up with a
corner.
Sublime skills from Gai
But there was more to come from Gai. In the 81st minute he
went off on a dazzling solo run, passing three players before sliding the ball on to Abraham, who
had little more to do than stroke it home to make it 4-0.
Nolito came close to making it five, placing his short brilliantly, but this time Alberto was
able to get to the ball in time.
MATCH STATS
BARÇA ATLÈTIC, 4
ORIOLA, 0
BARÇA ATLÈTIC: Miño, Córcoles, Botía, Verdés, Johny López, Rueda, Longás, Víctor
Vázquez (Abraham, min. 78), Jeffren (Nolito, min. 66), Rochina (Maric, min. 62), Gai
ORIOLA: Alberto, Pablo, Benja, Iker, Hinarejos, Andrés, Navarro (Pereira, min.
64), Santi, Esparza (Saúl, min. 73), Brenes, Marcos
Goals: 1-0 (Jeffren, min.33), 2-0 (Jeffren, min. 35), 3-0 (Verdés, min. 45), 4-0
(Abraham, min. 81)
Referee: Ignacio Ainzúa Zabalza (Navarra)