22.11.2009 14:10
Reserves win in last minute (0-1)
www.fcbarcelona.cat
Barça Atlètic won their seventh game of the season at Vila-Joiosa thanks to a goal in injury time. They left it late, having squandered several chances to settle the win earlier on.
Luis Enrique’s side are in the top half of the table with seven wins and 24 points after this
important win on the road at Vila Joiosa.
First threats
Barça went straight onto the attack from the outset. Playing in a well-structured formation,
it was Benja who produced the first threat against the Valencia based side by making a penetrating
run through the defence, but his one on one with the goalkeeper saw Nico turn the ball behind for a
corner.
Barça monologue
Luis Enrique’s side totally dominated the first 45 minutes, but the goal didn’t
come. Vila-Joiosa were pegged back in their own half, and only managed a few responses on the
counter. One of those came on the half hour, when Nolito latched onto a through ball, but saw his
shot thunder onto the bar.
Dominating on the wings, Barça were in full command, and the defence rarely broke into much
of a sweat. Vila-Joiosa hardly crossed their half way line, yet once again it was a counter attack
that almost produced a goal against the run of play, but the defence coolly dealt with
Rojas’s threatening run.
Change of dynamic
Vila-Joiosa seemed much more intense after the break, and it reached the point that it was no
longer so easy to work out which side was really in control. Luis Enrique switched Oriol Romeu for
Gai Asulin to get some more speed, but Barça Atlétic continued to produce genuine attacking threats
and the Valencians were gaining more and more confidence. Pepín, a former Barça youth player, could
have score but dallied too long, and Montoya tackled him before he could shoot.
Late reward
As the clock ran down, it looked like both sides were going to settle for a draw. But
that’s not the Barça way, and in the final move of the game, Thiago intercepted a pass and
slid the ball through to Jonathan, whose powerful drive found the back of the net and gifted Barça
three very useful points (0-1).
MATCH STATS
VILA-JOIOSA, 0
FC BARCELONA ATLÈTIC, 1
Vila-Joiosa: Nico, Jaime Navarro, Zambruno, Metola,, Adrian, Borja Granero
(Limones, min.54), Quique, Campillo, Pardo, Pepín and Rojas.
Fc Barcelona Atlètic: Rubén, Montoya, Espasandín, Bartra, Muniesa, Oriol Romeu
(Gai, min.54), Edu Oriol, Rueda, Benja (Jonathan, min.77), Ilie (Thiago, min.71) and Nolito.
Referee: Moratilla Dionisio.