HUESCA (REUTERS) - La Liga leaders Barcelona were held to a goalless draw by basement club Huesca on Saturday (April 13) after coach Ernesto Valverde made sweeping changes to his line-up ahead of Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final decider against Manchester United.
The draw means second-placed Atletico Madrid could close the 12-point gap with Barcelona, who are on 74 points, if they beat Celta Vigo later on Saturday.
With the title practically assured after last weekend's 2-0 win over Atletico, Valverde fielded a radically different side to the team that won 1-0 at Old Trafford in Wednesday's first leg, making 10 changes and giving three players their league debuts.
Top scorer Lionel Messi was left at home for the game after being struck in the face by United defender Chris Smalling while Ivan Rakitic and Sergio Busquets were also rested and Gerard Pique and Luis Suarez were suspended.
Goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen was the only player who started at Old Trafford to make the starting line-up against Huesca, although Barca were boosted by the return of France forward Ousmane Dembele after a month out injured.
Barca midfielder Arturo Vidal was happy to admit that his side's minds were more focused on getting beyond the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2015 than on the game they were playing on Saturday.
"I think everyone that was playing today was thinking about Tuesday's game, just like the guys who stayed at home. The Champions League is what everyone is dreaming about," said the Chilean.
Midfielder Riqui Puig was one of Barca's debutants and the 19-year-old produced the best moment of an uneventful first half, picking out Dembele with a wonderful pass but the Frenchman dragged his shot wide.
Brazilian forward Malcom struck the post early in the second half and team mate Carles Alena missed the target from the rebound in Barca's best spell after the interval, while substitutes Philippe Coutinho, Jordi Alba and Arthur Melo could not improve the leaders' attacking threat when they came on.
"There were a lot of changes and a few debuts so we're happy in general with the game though we could have been more ambitious in attack," added Barca coach Ernesto Valverde.
"It was a difficult situation with so many new players but I understood it was what we needed to do today."
Huesca desperately needed a win to keep up their slim hopes of avoiding relegation but they struggled to make much of an impact and stay rooted to the bottom of the standings with 25 points from 32 games.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer aims thinly veiled dig at Jose Mourinho as Man United arrive at training. The Norwegian is unbeaten in 10 matches after taking over from Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford six
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer aims another dig at Jose Mourinho's
Football: Liverpool and Spurs fans call on sponsors to hand over some Champions League final tickets Liverpool's miracle comeback trumps Spurs', say fans in Singapore SPH Digital News
Flipboard: Mohamed Salah Expected to Return as Liverpool
Jesus Shines As City Regain Top Spot, Eriksen Fires Spurs Manchester City swept back to the top of the Premier League as Gabriel Jesus struck twice in the champions' 3-1 win over Everton, while
Gabriel Jesus shines as Manchester City regain top spot
Man Utd's Martial, Lingard to miss Chelsea, Liverpool matches
Pep Guardiola's bid to win the Champions League for the first time since 2011 will come under threat from his old friend Mauricio Pochettino when Manc Pochettino plans to ruin old pal
Pochettino plans to ruin old pal Guardiola's Champions League bid
Manchester United vs Watford highlights and reaction as Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford score. Man Utd beat Watford in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first game in charge as permanent manager with
Football: Solskjaer unimpressed as 'sloppy' United avoid
Europa League: Chelsea too strong for Kiev, Arsenal slump at Rennes Chelsea were by far the better side at Stamford Bridge - they had eight shots on target to Kiev's none - but it was not
Arsenal to face Rennes in Europa League last 16 | London
The Spurs need to pick up a free agent guard who can score. Jamal Crawford is a possibility, although I'd like to see someone younger and more athletic, but having him around to mentor Dejounte
Hugo Lloris says that Spurs need to believe they can win the
Feb 27 (Reuters) - Manchester City will play a pre-season match in Japan for the first time when they take on J League side Yokohama F. City Football Group (CFG) own a majority stake in City and a
Man City to play pre-season match in Japan against Marinos
Liverpool send classy message to Spurs after Champions League triumph against Pochettino's men A video posted by BT Sport shows footage of Henderson going up to Tottenham striker Harry Kane and Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino as Liverpool's players and fans celebrated inside the stadium.
Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino 'disappointed' with Premier
Valencia stroll into Europa semis with Villarreal win 19/04/2019 Oman Observer VALENCIA: Valencia eased into the Europa League semifinals for the first time in five years with a comfortable 2-0 win at home to fellow Spaniards Villarreal in heavy rain on Thursday for a resounding 5-1 aggregate scoreline.
Valencia vs. Villarreal - Football Match Report - April 19
tv5.espn.com/football/report?gameId=538709
Valencia eased into the semifinals of the Europa League for the first time in five years with a comfortable 2-0 win at home to fellow Spanish side Villarreal in heavy rain on Thursday for a resounding 5-1 aggregate scoreline.
Valencia stroll into Europa semis with Villarreal win - Reuters
Raheem Sterling's hat-trick in Manchester City's 3-1 win over Watford lifted the champions four points clear at the top of the Premier League after Tottenham Hotspur's challenge faltered again with a 2-1 loss at Southampton on Saturday.
Man City surge clear through Sterling as Spurs suffer
Man City's Vincent Kompany holds the EPL trophy as Sergio Aguero (left) looks on during an open-top bus parade in Manchester. Pic/AFP Manchester City celebrated their domestic treble with an open
Treble winners Man City enjoy parade - freepressjournal.in
Gareth Bale's agent says the Wales international remains "100 per cent" committed to Real Madrid. Bale has been persistently linked with a move away from the Bernabeu this season, having hinted at
Gareth Bale '100 per cent committed' to Real Madrid and wants
0 comments:
Post a Comment