With only two games remaining to the end of the regular season, Barça Alusport is now just three points from achieving, mathematically, top spot in the league. The hard-fought win against Benicarló was due to more accuracy in the second half.
MATCH STATS
FCB ALUSPORT, 2
BENICARLÓ FS, 0
FC Barcelona Alusport (0+2): Cristian, Jordi Torres, Chico, Saad, Fernandao (1) -
starting five- Ari Santos, Javier Rodriguez (1), Lin, Carlos, Sepe, Wilde and Cristian.
Benicarlo (0+0): Gus, Chaguinha, Vadillo, Lolo, Retamar - starting five - Chapa,
Chicho, Kike, Javi Alonso, Gonzalo, Ivan, and Joselito.
Goals: 1-0, Fernandao, 21 min, and 2-0, Javier Rodriguez, 23 min.
Referees: Fortes Pardo and Martinez Flores.
Yellow cards: Chico - Alusport, and for Benicarló, Retamar, Gus and Lolo.
Venue: Palau Blaugrana. 3,214 spectators.
After twenty minutes without goals, and beginning to get the idea that they would have to sweat to
find the key to break down the away team, goals from Fernandao and Javi Rodriguez in the first
minutes after the restart paved the road to victory for Barça Alusport. It’s a win that
leaves Marc Carmona’s team, with only two games to go to the end of the regular season, just
three points from making sure of home advantage in the final phase of the run-in for the title.
Scoreless first half
It was a hard-fought win. Up against them were an always intense
Benicarlo side who, as expected, just like they always do, caused Barça a lot of problems with
their alternating defense, either high up the pitch, or defending deeply. It was to be a game of
attrition, sweating blood to find the first goal.. The home side tried from the very start. Saad
and Fernandao both had two good opportunities, but found goalkeeper Gus in good form, and other
chances went very close. The best chances for the away team fell to Chicho, following a corner, and
Xapa, from a long clearance by the keeper.
Good pressing from the home team allowed them to recover the ball quickly, but creating
dangerous chances was a bit more complicated.. Benicarló were quite comfortable, letting the
minutes go by without having too much trouble in defense. Barça dominated the game but their
attacks were becoming more sterile as the clock ticked away. They had great difficulty getting past
the Benicarló defensive line, and the game became very tactical. The Barça attacks were becoming
predictable. Cristian, for much of the game a mere spectator, had to be attentive to the few
attacks by Benicarló, mainly from set-pieces.
Fernandao opens the box
The last few minutes of the first half and the first few of the second
were the best. A Torras shot hit the post, and Wilde failed to connect after a good move, but
half-time came with the score 0-0.
Something special was needed to break down the Benicarló defense, and it came in the first
minute of the second half, when, after good ball recovery, Fernandao found himself in a one-on-one
with keeper Gus and scored with a shot just inside the post. The goal spurred on Alusport and the
fans, but also Benicarló, who until then were more a defensive wall than a threat.
Chaguinha had a chance for the visitors, but Javi Rodriguez made it 2-0 after some good team
play. In only 3 minutes Barça scored 2 goals, something they had been unable to do in the first 20
minutes. Benicarló were still very defensive, and could do little against Alusport, who dominated
the game.
The minutes ticked away with very few chances. An indirect free-kick against the post from
Ari Santos was the best chance, and 3 shots from Lin and Fernandao (twice) were well saved by Gus.
Benicarló played with a rush goalkeeper for the last 4 minutes, but the Barça defense held firm,
and took the 3 valuable points from the match.