Nelson Semedo launches Barcelona for the eighth consecutive victory
A goal from Portugal’s Nelson Semedo today led the leader FC Barcelona for the eighth successive victory in the Spanish Liga of football, in the stronghold of Girona (2-0), in a meeting of the 21st round of the competition.
In the 59th game for the Catalans, the Portuguese international scored his first goal for the Spanish champions, at nine minutes, with a left-footed shot in the area after a rebound.
In the second half, after the Colombian Bernardo Espinosa saw the second yellow and leave the hosts with 10, at 51 minutes, Argentine ‘inevitable’ Lionel Messi increased the lead at 69 with a hat to the Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, after a table with Jordi Alba.
Messi reinforced the lead off the list of the markers of the race, with 19 goals, in 19 games, to which adds 10 assists, being, in its history, increased the total in the Spanish Liga to 402 tries in 437 meetings.
The Catalan side scored early on the first opportunity by Nelson Semedo and almost made the second at 16 when Messi isolated a very uninspiring Coutinho, but then Girona had many opportunities to restore equality.
The Uruguayan Christian Stuani was the most dangerous of the places, but ‘stumbled’ in the German goalkeeper Ter Stegen, at 42, 50 and 55 minutes, and on the first occasion Pere Pons did the recharge and Piqué saved on the line.
The sides, who tried to end a series of seven games without winning the match, pardoned and Messi sentenced, marking the seventh consecutive day (10 goals).
In the final part, FC Barcelona was always closer to the third goal than Girona to reduce, but the result did not change, with the team of Ernesto Valverde to hold the five points of advantage over Atletico Madrid, which on Saturday received and beat Getafe 2-0.
In the morning, Celta de Vigo remained in ‘free fall’, under the command of Portuguese coach Miguel Cardoso, losing 2-1 at the Valladolid stronghold.
The Galician side advanced on the scoreboard in the 16 minutes through the Danish Pione Sisto, but the locals rounded the result in the second half, with goals from Óscar Plano at 55 and Keko at 69.
Under Miguel Cardoso, Celta de Vigo now have two victories, one draw and six defeats, five of which in a row in the last five rounds.
Provisionally, the set of Vigo is in 17th place, with 21 points, but can be overtaken by Rayo Vallecano (plays Monday in the Alavés stronghold) and fall to the relegation zone.
In the current season, Miguel Cardoso took over Celta de Vigo in the 13th round of the Spanish league after being fired from the French in Nantes on 2 October with the team in 19th and second last place in the French championship.
