Barca up to second in La Liga

Spain For the first time in five months, Barca returned to second place in La Liga, thanks to a 4-0 win over Getafe in round 26.

A fourth win in five games saw Barca close the gap on leaders Real Madrid to five points, despite the reigning champions having played a game more. Xavi Hernandez's side are in top form in La Liga, having picked up 13 points from a possible 15. If Real continue to stumble, the title race could heat up again.

Raphinha celebrates scoring the opening goal for Barca against Getafe at the Olimpic Lluis Companys stadium in Barcelona, Spain, February 24, 2024. Photo: Lapresse

The standout player of the match was probably Raphinha, as he scored, assisted and missed a golden opportunity. In the 20th minute, defender Jules Kounde passed down the right wing, over the line for Raphinha to rush down to face the goalkeeper. The Brazilian midfielder comfortably pushed the ball and then curled it into the far corner to open the scoring for the home team.

Raphinha was presented with another similar opportunity, this time from a through ball from Robert Lewandowski. But the former Leeds midfielder did not shoot, instead crossing too deep for Joao Felix to get on at the end of the first half. Afterwards, Raphinha raised his head to the sky, arms outstretched to show his regret.

In the second half, Raphinha made a series of mistakes with a pass to midfielder Frenkie de Jong to shoot into an empty net to make it 3-0. The Brazilian international has had a hand in 10 goals, in just nine starts in La Liga this season. However, he still has a lot of difficulty competing with 17-year-old midfielder Lamine Yamal.

Felix, after being disappointed at not receiving the ball from Raphina at the end of the first half, enjoyed the joy of scoring the first goal of the second half. Defender Andreas Christensen rushed down the right wing, crossed right to the Portuguese international, who swooped in and cushioned the ball into the near corner to score. Felix pointed to Christensen in gratitude after the ball went into the net.

Man Utd striker Mason Greenwood (right) could not show much when the two teams had different levels. Photo: EFE

Fermin Lopez's goal in stoppage time gave Barca their biggest win since thrashing Royal Antwerp 5-0 in the Champions League in September 2023. Since then, Xavi's team have regained second place in the table, after the "phenomenon" Girona fell into decline with two consecutive recent defeats.

In the next round, Barca is expected to face many difficulties when visiting Athletic Bilbao. Bilbao is also unbeaten in the last four matches, competing for a place in the Champions League next season.

Hoang An

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