Barcelona survive Betis fright
Barcelona ensured they are once again within five points of leaders Real Madrid with a 4-2 victory over Real Betis at the Camp Nou, but not before the gutsy visitors had given Pep Guardiola’s team an almighty fright.
Xavi Hernández and Lionel Messi had given Barca the lead inside the opening 12 minutes, after a bright start from the Andalusians, and it appeared to be business as usual for the Catalans. However, Rubén Castro pulled one back just after the half-hour mark - the first goal Barcelona have conceded at home in the league this season - before substitute Roque Santa Cruz curled one into the corner seven minutes after the restart to level things.
Betis then had Mario sent off 20 minutes from time for a second yellow card, and it proved to be a cruel blow for Pepe Mel’s men as Alexis Sánchez restored the home side’s lead just four minutes later, his low shot from the edge of the box creeping past goalkeeper Casto and into the bottom corner. After that there was no way back for Los Béticos and Lionel Messi wrapped up the points five minutes from time with a penalty-kick, Dorado having handled Eric Abidal’s shot inside the area.
In spite of Barcelona’s uncharacteristically lacklustre display, Guardiola said after the game that he was satisfied with his team’s performance and the reaction shown after losing a two-goal cushion.
“If there is something about this team it is that it never relaxes, which is a consequence of not wanting to lose what we have earned over the years,” he explained. “My players need to do too much wrong for anybody to doubt their commitment. This only happens when you work hard and behave as you need to behave.”
Looking forward to Wednesday’s meeting in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu, Guardiola said his players ‘will go out and play the best game possible and try to score goals’.
“We know that if you don’t score goals away from home in the cup then it is much more difficult,” he commented. “We also know the quality of rival we will be facing and we will try to play the most complete match possible.”
Opposite number Pepe Mel was understandably proud of his Betis players after the final whistle and believes his team should be further up the table than the 11th place they currently occupy.
“Every time we play against Barca they cause us a lot of problems but I am very proud of my players,” he declared. “We don’t deserve to be in the position we are in and should have taken four or five more points. But taking into account that no other team has managed to score here, we had the chance not only to draw the game but to win it when it was 11 versus 11. Pep Guardiola congratulated me after the match. He is a gentleman and he acknowledged my team had worked hard and done well,” he added.
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