Real Madrid took a big step towards the championship in La Liga with a win against FC Girona. Barça only managed a draw during Marc-André ter Stegen’s comeback.
With the 4-0 (2-0) win on Saturday evening (February 10, 2024), the “Royals” extended their lead over the second-placed Catalans to five points and celebrated a successful dress rehearsal for their round of 16 first leg in the Champions League on Tuesday at the Bundesliga club RB Leipzig. FC Barcelona barely avoided a defeat at home against FC Granada on Sunday and has therefore finally said goodbye to the championship race.
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Bellingham with a double pack
With former world champion Toni Kroos in the starting line-up and without national player Antonio Rüdiger, who is still injured, Real made the balance of power on the pitch clear before the break. Vinicius Junior (6th minute) and former Bundesliga star Jude Bellingham (35th), who moved to Spain from German runner-up Borussia Dortmund at the start of the season, established the hosts’ reassuring lead for the second half.
Joselu misses another penalty
After the break, Bellingham (54th) again made the decision. Rodrygo (61st) scored the final score for coach Carlo Ancelotti’s team. In the final minute, the hosts were able to overcome a missed penalty from Joselu.
For Girona, after their second defeat of the season, securing a place in the Champions League should be the most important goal. The neighbors of the defending champions FC Barcelona, who were practically eliminated from the championship race, had already suffered their first defeat of the current season in the first leg against the Madrilenians (0:3).
Barcelona barely avoids defeat
National soccer player Marc-André ter Stegen has experienced a disappointing and turbulent return to the goal of FC Barcelona. Outgoing coach Xavi Hernandez’s team couldn’t get past a 3-3 (1-1) draw against second-to-last FC Granada on Sunday and lost two more points to their arch-rivals Real Madrid in the one-sided championship race.
Lamine Yamal (14th/81st) and former Bayern star Robert Lewandowski (63rd), who scored on an assist from Ilkay Gündogan, secured Barca at least one point in a wild game on Sunday evening.
Ricard Sanchez (43rd), Facundo Pellistri (60th) and Ignasi Miquel (66th) even made the guests dream of an away win at times. Captain ter Stegen was powerless to concede the first two goals. He initially cleared Miquel’s header onto the post, but from there the ball hit his left hand and flew over the goal line.
Ter Stegen missed 16 competitive games
The former Gladbacher had missed his club’s last 16 competitive games due to a back injury. Without Ter Stegen, Barca were eliminated from the Spanish Cup in the quarter-finals and lost 4-1 to arch-rivals Real Madrid in the Super Cup final. Now national coach Julian Nagelsmann can plan with Ter Stegen again. At the start of the European Championship year with the international matches in Lyon against runner-up world champion France on March 23rd and three days later in Frankfurt against the Netherlands, long-time captain Manuel Neuer from Bayern Munich is also expected back.
Pursuer Atletico Madrid suffered a defeat in the fight for the Champions League places with a 0-1 (0-1) draw at Sevilla FC and is three points behind Barca.
Athletic Bilbao leaves points at the bottom
With a win at UD Almeria, Athletic Bilbao would have moved past Atletico and climbed to fourth place. But the Basques only managed a 0-0 draw at the end of the day on Monday, with the bottom team still winless.
