Alba scores late and Barça secures the place among the top four with the victory of Betis


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Madrid (AFP)- Barcelona secured qualification for next season’s Champions League on Saturday when Jordi Alba’s 94th-minute goal against Real Betis guaranteed the Catalans’ place in the top four of La Liga.

Alba’s stinging stoppage-time volley snatched a 2-1 victory from Barca at the Benito Villamarin to ensure they will play in the Champions League next season, an achievement likely to be crucial to Barca’s hopes of financial recovery. club.

When Xavi Hernández took over as manager in November, Barcelona were ninth in La Liga, with genuine concerns about their chances of closing the gap in the top four.

But, despite a recent drop in form, significant improvements have seen Xavi’s side move up the table and they can now look forward to meeting the likes of Real Madrid in Europe’s premier tournament next season.

The difference between Champions League and Europa League football could be worth more than 50 million euros ($52.7 million) for Barcelona, ​​which started the season with debts of more than a billion euros, and after being forced to let Lionel Messi out for free last summer.

It would have been unthinkable to miss out on the financial rewards of the Champions League and while a trophyless season can never be considered a success for Barca, finishing in the top four is an impressive achievement for Xavi and a huge relief for the club.

The victory leaves Barcelona second in the table, 11 points above Betis in fifth place, with both teams having three games to play. Barça should now be confident of second place too, with a five-point difference between them and Sevilla, who play at Villarreal on Sunday.

Fati’s Scores

Betis looked to have sealed a point after Marc Bartra headed in the equalizer in the 78th minute, three minutes after Ansu Fati came off the bench to give Barcelona the lead. Alba, however, shot to the far post to take all three points for the visitors.

Fati’s goal was his first in the league since November as the 19-year-old continues his latest comeback from another long spell on the sidelines.

The teenager briefly returned in January from a hamstring injury that kept him out for the better part of six months, on the back of his 11-month nightmare with a knee problem between November 2020 and September. from last year.

Real Betis had to change goalkeepers in the 17th minute, as the injured Claudio Bravo was replaced by Rui Silva, who shortly after came into action after heading the crossbar with Ronald Araujo.

Barça also had the woodwork to thank for keeping the score level at half-time when Guido Rodríguez’s shot from the edge of the area was cannoned off the bottom of the post.

Betis finished the first half stronger but the game opened up in the second, with Barcelona looking more dangerous.

It was Fati, from the bench, who marked the takeoff.

First, Fati tried to sneak through a group of Betis defenders in front of him and when that failed he tried a more direct route, the ball being returned to him by Alba and the shot finding a way through the bodies and dribbling into the corner. .

Barcelona’s lead, however, lasted three minutes when a simple crossover free kick from Nabil Fekir was met with the shoulder by Bartra, who quickly pushed for an equalizer against his former club.

The German Pezzella from Betis could have added another, but it went wide.

Fati fired a chance at the other end before Alba scored in the 94th minute, sliding around the far post and measuring Danu Alves’s float. He caught it sweetly, the ball flying over the top of the net.



Reference-www.france24.com

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