The title race got even hotter in La Liga as Barcelona put on a scary show against Real Sociedad, with both Real Madrid and Atleti picking up wins. European places are closer to solidifying, with Villareal pulling further ahead of Granada in 8th.
The first match of the week was Friday night’s Levante visit to Betis’ Benito Vellamarín stadium. The first half was uneventful and fairly sloppy and the second looked set to have a similar ending until Nabil Fekir picked up the ball about 40 yards from goal with twenty minutes remaining. The Frenchman proceeded to beat two Levante players off the dribble before wriggling through three more and slotting home through the legs of Aítor Fernandez in the Levante goal. Betis’ second clinched the game in a fashion more befitting of the game as a whole, following a corner, Sergio Canales’ effort fell to Mandi who shot straight at Fernandez, with Juanmi Jiminéz on hand to turn home. There were five Betis players played onside from the Canales shot and Levante will not be happy with the manner in which the game was sealed.
Athletic Bilbao and Eibar played out an entertaining game in the early Saturday kick-off. Yuri Berchiche volleyed home spectacularly from 15 yards to open the scoring after just 9 minutes, Dmitrović left with no chance in the Eibar goal. Kike García then cancelled this effort out less than ten minutes later after Unai López got himself into trouble outside his own box, Kike picking his pocket and firing past Unai Simón. New Spain call-up Bryan Gil then went on a mazy run, wrong footing Iñigo Martinez before shooting straight at Simón in the Bilbao goal. Even in a weekend full of great football, Dmitrović’s close range save from Oscar de Marcos’ corner-bound effort is a contender for play of the week. The Eibar stopper stuck out a right boot at the very last second to deny a certain goal, deflecting the ball just past the post.
Toni Kroos ventured forward after 19 minutes to allow Karim Benzema to bend home his 15th goal of the season against Celta Vigo. Celta then gifted Benzema a second soon after when Renato Tapía took too long in possession on the edge of the Celta area. The in-form Santi Mina then gave Celta a lifeline on the 40 minute mark after nodding home Dennis Suarez’s cross. The defending champions held firm as Iago Aspas rattled the woodwork from a freekick with ten minutes remaining, adding a third goal through Marco Asensio, Benzema the provider on this occasion.
5 o’clock saw Huesca and Osasuna play out an entertaining if scrappy 0-0 draw with neither team really threatening, of the 22 shots in the match, only six found the target. Bottom club Huesca will take heart from creating 15 shots but will rue their accuracy, 12 of which were misplaced.
Sevilla dropped points yet again against lower league opposition, having to rely on goalkeeper Bóno to rescue a point in the 94th minute against Valladolid. Fabian Orellana had earlier opened the scoring just before the break from the penalty spot, the 34 year old Chilean scoring his 5th of the season. Sevilla keeper Bóno then slammed home after a messy goalmouth scramble to make this the first season since 1987 where two La Liga goalkeepers got on the scoresheet (Dmitrović scored from the spot earlier in the season) and leaving the expected U2 jokes estimate (xU2j) at * too many *.
Elche then played Getafe in a game that was unlikely to provide many goals, Getafe with fewer than anyone apart from Eibar this season, and Elche hovering above the relegation zone. Pere Milla scored from Gonzalo Verdú’s cutback after 20 minutes but this was cancelled out as Enes Ünal scored his first of the season from Take Kubo’s cutback on the hour mark to share the spoils having had a penalty overturned by VAR.
Valencia then continued their great home form by beating Granada despite a late scare. Daniel Wass scored after just four minutes from a José Gayá cross, the Dane sliding past Granada’s Rui Silva with the outside of his boot. Gayá continued to make a nuisance of himself down the left flank as Valencia dominated and went in search of a second, Rui Silva denying Guedes from 8 yards soon after. Guedes then laid on a chance for Álex Blanco to score his first goal for Los Murciélagos, which he accepted gratefully, firing left-footed into the far corner on a break. Roberto Soldado scored his sixth of the season after a neat interchange with Jorge Molina, but it was not enough to bring Granada back level.
Villareal were gifted a harsh early penalty against Cadiz, Dani Parejo powering a shot from point blank range off the arm of the Cadiz defender. Gerard Moreno continued his find form, his penalty flying into the top right hand corner to give Villareal an early lead. Cadiz were spirited, with a goal ruled offside after an Álvaro Negredo header. Carlos Bacca got his second in as many games as Dani Parejo found Moreno in space, who squared for the Columbian to slide home. Another assist for Moreno who is shaping up favourably as one of Europe’s most complete strikers, alongside Harry Kane and Romelu Lukaku.
To nobody’s surprise, Luis Suarez and Jan Oblak proved the difference in a tight game between the league leaders Atletico Madrid and strugglers Alavés. A fairly even first half saw Joselu and Suarez shoot wide from the edge of each box, while Stefan Savić had a wayward cross tipped over the bar. To start the second half, Suarez converted a Keiran Trippier cross in off the post to give Atleti the lead. This was Suarez’s 500th goal in a decorated career. Marcos Llorente hit the bar as Atleti looked to further their lead, Savić nearly cost them the lead with a pointless elbow in the final five minutes, only for Oblak to save well from Joselu’s spot kick.
La Liga left its best until last with Barcelona putting together a stunning performance against a Real Sociedad side who were by no means there for the taking. La Reala looked fairly threatening early on even after some great build up had led to Antoine Greizmann turning home the rebound from Ousmané Dembélé’s saved shot. The killer blow was struck as Lionel Messi played a perfect through ball for right-back Sergiño Dest to latch on to and finish like a seasoned forward. Jordi Alba then started the second half brightly before beating Robin le Normand for pace and laying on a plate for Dest to grab his second. Messi scored a rare route one goal – although that rather diminishes the quality of the goal – as Sergio Busquets sent forward a ball which Messi allowed to bounce before delicately lobbing the ball past Álex Remiro with the outside of his left foot. The Blaugrana were not done there however, Dembele having a marginal offside ruled against him before soon after, facing up Igor Zubeldia and beating him for pace, finishing low into the corner for five. Real Sociedad grabbed one back as wing back Anders Barrentxea recieved a return pass on the break and, with a touch to steady himself hammered in a right footed shot from 20 yards which was past Ter Stegen before he had a chance to set himself. There was time for some more Barca magic though as a neat interchange involving Messi, Alba, young substitute Ilaix Moriba ended up back with Messi, thumped in low off the left hand post, rounding off a resounding message to their title rivals.
The scariest part about their dismantling of Real Sociedad is that at no point did Sociedad look like a team that should lose 6-1. Barca were simply untouchable.
Goal of the matchweek
This was a tie between Yuri Berchiche’s volley against Eibar, Barrentxea’s rocket against Barcelona, and Nabil Fekir’s Messi-esque run against Levante. All three goals are worthy but the accolade goes to Fekir’s run as it was the only moment of quality in a rather drab game which broke it open for Betis to further advance their position in the Europa League places, setting the tone for the race with Villareal and La Reala.
Michael Vince on Sport 