Barcelona did not rebound from its humiliating loss to Actual Madrid within the Copa del Rey semifinals and was held to a 0-0 residence draw with Girona within the Spanish league on Monday.
The consequence nonetheless allowed Barcelona to extend its lead over second-place Madrid to 13 factors with 10 matches remaining. Madrid misplaced 3-2 to Villarreal at residence on Saturday.
Barcelona misplaced 4-0 to Madrid on the Camp Nou final week. It was the primary time Barcelona had misplaced to Madrid at residence by 4 objectives since 1963 and it hoped to rebound within the workforce’s uncommon Monday sport.
“The one factor that worries me now could be to win the Spanish league,” Barcelona coach Xavi stated. “We’re nonetheless in a very good place. We will not be glad with a draw at residence, however we’re nonetheless 13 factors forward with 10 rounds left. Now we have to have a look at it positively.”
Barcelona playmaker Gavi had the most effective possibilities to interrupt the impasse when his header off a nook kick was saved by Girona goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga deep into stoppage time. Robert Lewandowski almost discovered the web shortly after with a backheel shot that deflected off a defender in entrance of the aim.
Girona’s finest alternative got here in a one-on-one state of affairs wasted by Taty Castellanos early within the second half.
Barcelona completed with 18 photographs in whole, however solely three have been on track. Girona had 5 general and none on track.
Barcelona stays unbeaten in opposition to Girona in league matches, with 4 wins and two attracts. It was the primary time Barcelona did not scored in opposition to the man Catalan membership.
Barcelona stays unbeaten in 14 houses matches within the league this season, having conceded solely two objectives in whole — in a 1-1 draw in opposition to Espanyol and a 2-1 win over Madrid.
It was the primary time since 2019 that Girona earned a clear sheet in a street sport within the league. It stayed in eleventh place with the draw.
Girona had crushed Espanyol at residence within the earlier spherical, and it subsequent hosts last-place Elche. Barcelona visits relegation-threatened Getafe on Sunday.
Xavi nonetheless could not depend on a number of gamers due to accidents, together with Ousmane Dembélé, Pedri and Frenkie de Jong.
As occurred within the cup sport in opposition to Madrid, followers at Camp Nou chanted Lionel Messi’s identify within the tenth minute. The previous Barcelona star was booed by some Paris Saint-Germain followers in its latest residence defeat to Lyon, resulting in elevated hypothesis he may go away this summer time, however scored in PSG’s 2-0 win in opposition to Good on Saturday.