BARCELONA: Barcelona provisionally reclaimed the second place in La Liga with a 2-0 home win over Real Sociedad on Monday courtesy of a Lamine Yamal first-half strike and a late Raphinha penalty.

Xavi Hernandez’s side leapfrogged Girona — who face Villarreal late on Tuesday — to move on to 76 points, one clear of their Catalan rivals. Girona dropped points in Friday’s 2-2 draw at Deportivo Alaves.

Real Madrid have already secured the league title, sitting on 90 points with three games left.

Last season’s champions Barcelona are playing for nothing but pride in the final weeks of a disappointing campaign, and finishing above high-flying minnows Girona is imperative to achieve even a modicum of that.

With Real swiping La Liga back off the Catalans, they end the season trophyless and licking their wounds.

“There is still a long way to go. It will be a battle to the end. Girona are very strong,” Barcelona defender Inigo Martinez told Movistar.

“It’s in our hands now. I think the team is very good. Three valuable points. We had some mistakes in the first half. In the second half I think we could have finished it off earlier.”

Yamal put Barcelona ahead in the 40th minute when he coolly slotted home from Ilkay Gundogan’s pass after a quick breakaway for his fifth La Liga goal this season.

“It was an important game to regain second place and we have to try to make it a nine-point week,” the 16-year-old Yamal said referring to the upcoming games. “Sociedad did very well in the first half but then we were able to improve. There was good feeling in the whole team.”

Raphinha’s penalty in stoppage time sealed victory for the hosts after a VAR review for handball, leaving the Basque side in seventh place with 54 points, one behind Real Betis in the last Europa League spot.

“La Real always make it difficult for us. They are always very organised, aggressive, you don’t create danger for them,” Xavi told reporters. “It’s an important victory for us. We played a good game in general.”

Real Sociedad had chances of their own but failed to finish them. Brais Mendez had a chance to level the score when he won the ball back high up and fired inches wide of Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen’s far post.

“We leave here hurt, we came to win, we’ve got a lot on the line to try and get into Europe and I think we had chances, especially in the first half, to go in front,” said Real Sociedad midfielder Benat Turrientes. “If you don’t score these teams end up scoring against you.”

Published in Dawn, May 15th, 2024