Barcelona Inches Closer to Securing Second Place in Spanish League with a 2-0 Victory over Almeria
Barcelona took a significant step towards clinching second place in the Spanish league after securing a 2-0 win against bottom-placed Almeria.
Fermin López emerged as the hero for Barcelona, netting a goal in each half to seal the victory. The result now sees Barcelona establish a four-point lead over third-place Girona with just two rounds remaining in the season. Securing the second spot holds added significance as it guarantees participation in the lucrative Spanish Super Cup held in Saudi Arabia.
Barcelona's remaining fixtures include hosting Rayo Vallecano and visiting Sevilla, while Girona faces Valencia on the road before hosting Granada.
Manager Xavi Hernández expressed satisfaction with the outcome, stating, "It's a clear victory that moves us closer to our goal of finishing in second place."
The win marks Barcelona's third victory in the last four matches, although they still trail league champions Real Madrid by a considerable 14-point margin. Real Madrid asserted their dominance with a commanding 5-0 victory over Alaves earlier in the week.
Meanwhile, Almeria continues to struggle, managing only 17 points from 36 matches and remaining without a single home victory throughout the season. Their only two wins came away from home against Las Palmas and Rayo Vallecano.
In other league action, Real Betis settled for a 2-2 draw against Las Palmas. The match saw playmaker Isco exit due to injury following a hard knock in the first half, while midfielder Guido Rodriguez also suffered a muscle injury early in the game.
With Betis initially occupying sixth place and vying for European qualification, they slipped to seventh after Real Sociedad secured a 1-0 victory over Valencia with André Silva finding the net just three minutes into the match. Sociedad, having won only one of their last five matches, now looks forward to a crucial fixture against Betis in the upcoming round.
Betis manager Manuel Pellegrini commented on the match, stating, "We are not happy but we played a good game. We lost two important players and had to make two early changes."
The injuries to Isco and Rodriguez, both expected to feature for Spain in the upcoming European Championship, add further concern for Betis. Despite the setbacks, Betis remains undefeated in their last six matches, registering four wins and two draws.
The draw against Betis brought an end to Las Palmas' eight-match losing streak, although they continue to languish in 14th place and are winless in their last 12 league outings.
