Ruthless Barcelona down Real Zaragoza
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E-mail Xinhua, April 15, 2013
FC Barcelona rested key players for their BBVA Primera Liga game away to Zaragoza this Sunday, but still had few problems in cruising to a 3-0 win which takes them three points closer to the league title.
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Thiago Alcantara inspires Barcelona to a 3-0 victory. |
Two goals from Christian Tello and an opening strike from Thiago Alcantara gave Barca the points on a calm evening in the La Romareda Stadium against a Zaragoza side that is starting to look like a clear candidate for relegation.
Barca went into the game with the Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich in mind and after assistant coach Jordi Roura had commented on Saturday that the squad was tired, it was obvious the priority is to ensure the squad is in the best possible condition in 10 days' time.
With Leo Messi struggling with a muscle injury, Barca also left midfielders Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta at home, while Jordi Alba was also rested.
Javier Mascherano and Carles Puyol's respective knee injuries meant that Tito Vilanova made sweeping changes in defense with Marc Bartra partnering Adriano with Martin Montoya fitting in at left back, while Christian Tello, Cesc Fabrigas and Alexis Sanchez played in attack.
Zaragoza meanwhile went into the game in the relegation zone as a result of Deportivo la Coruna's 4-0 win away to Levante on Saturday and had little option other than to go all out for a win.
However, it is one thing trying to go for a win and another thing entirely to be able to achieve it and Manolo Jimenez's side showed in the first 45 minutes why they have failed to win in 2013, a run stretching back 13 games.
The home side relied on the long ball from the back and although Barca's makeshift central defensive pairing of Barta and Adriano looked shaky on occasions, Zaragoza were unable to muster a shot on target.
Meanwhile Tello curled a shot wide in the second minute of the game and Barca took the lead after 20 minutes as Thiago started and finished a break which had begun with a Zaragoza corner.
The young midfielder carried the ball forward, exchanged passed with Alexis and then scored with a low shot into the corner.
Tello scored Barca's second with six minutes left in the first half, taking a pass from Thiago and curling the ball past Roberto, who was fooled by the winger's shot at his near post.
Zaragoza looked to get back into the game at the start of the second half and brought on veteran midfielder Apono in an attempt to try and put more authority into their midfield, but Tello's second goal of the night, which saw him beat Glen Loovens for pace before slipping the ball across Roberto signaled an early end to their ambitions.
Had it not been for Roberto, who pulled off further saves to deny Tello and Alexis the result would have been even worse for Zaragoza, but even so Jimenez's side now need to do something special to stop their slide down the table.
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