BARCELONA: Leaders Barcelona played out a second straight 0-0 draw in La Liga after mid-table Getafe battled for a home point in a hard-fought game on Sunday.
Third-place Atletico Madrid beat Almeria 2-1 at home with Antoine Griezmann netting a brace as he continued his sparkling form.
Barca, who were held by visitors Girona last weekend, still have a healthy lead over second-placed Real Madrid but Sunday’s stalemate left the gap at 11 points with nine games remaining.
Barcelona coach Xavi acknowledged his side did not play well but also blamed the conditions, saying they felt uncomfortable after the game was played in bright sunshine on a dry pitch.
“We are used to playing without the sun and I don’t want it to sound like an excuse but we are used to playing at night, it’s obvious,” Xavi told reporters.
Barca had two opportunities to take the lead in the 25th minute when Raphinha was put through on goal but the Brazilian winger saw his shot come off the post before Alejandro Balde’s effort from the rebound also hit the woodwork.
In the second half, Barca striker Robert Lewandowski had a header blocked while Getafe goalkeeper David Soria also denied Raphinha with a fine save.
Getafe nearly stole all three points on a counter-attack in the 87th minute when the ball fell to Borja Mayoral but the striker’s shot from distance flew just wide of the post.
Meanwhile, Atletico stayed two points behind Real with a narrow win over Almeria, 17th, which should have been more comfortable than it proved to be.
Antoine Griezmann headed Atletico ahead in the fifth minute when Angel Correa nodded on a corner to the back post.
Diego Simeone’s side were dominant throughout, but Almeria pulled level when Leo Baptistao’s shot deflected in off Jose Gimenez.
Griezmann sent the Rojiblancos ahead again before the break, finishing clinically from Yannick Carrasco’s pass at the end of a fine team move for his 11th league goal.
Atletico could not find the third and Almeria gave them a few scares in the final stages, appealing for a penalty when Gimenez handled but VAR showed there was an offside.
In Sunday’s late match, Sevilla earned a hard-fought win over the frustrated hosts, for whom Ilaix Moriba was sent off late on.
Defender Loic Bade sent Sevilla ahead at Mestalla early in the second half, with Suso doubling the visitors’ lead.
Valencia’s anger grew when they were not awarded a penalty after the ball struck Fernando’s hand in the area, and then later on had a spot kick award cancelled by the referee after VAR showed no foul had been committed.
The victory helped Jose Luis Mendilibar’s Sevilla rise to 12th, eight points clear of the bottom three, continuing their improvement since he replaced Jorge Sampaoli at the helm in March.
Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2023
