La Liga: Barcelona Moves Closer To Atletico After Late Dembele Winner
Ousmane Dembele volleyed in a 90th-minute winner against Real Valladolid on Monday, 5th April to fire Barcelona to within a point of Atletico Madrid in preparation of next weekend’s Clasico in La Liga.
Barca looked prepared for a damaging stalemate at Camp Nou after Atletico’s defeat by Sevilla on Saturday but Valladolid had Oscar Plano harshly sent off with 12 minutes left and Dembele snatched a 1-0 victory.
His strike might prove an important moment in the Spanish title race, with Barca now breathing down Atletico’s necks ahead of Saturday’s meeting with Real Madrid, who are three points off the top.
If Ronald Koeman’s men win at Valdebebas, they will take first place for 24 hours at least, before a depleted and deflated Atletico play away at Real Betis on Sunday.
They will have to play better after being frustrated by a determined Valladolid side, with Lionel Messi delivering some strict instructions to his team-mates in the tunnel at half-time.
“We have to step it up a gear, we have to play with more rhythm,” Messi said. “If not it’s going to get complicated for us.”
It might have been more complicated had Plano not been shown a red card in the 78th minute, his hack on Dembele from behind giving Barca a crucial benefit for the final lapses.
Koeman said, “We struggled in the first half, to create scoring opportunities in attack, and also at the back, our pressing was not very good. I saw a Barca that was a little slow, tired, we did not have control of the game.
“In the second half we have improved. We have shown that without playing well, we are capable of winning games.”
Victory makes it six in a row for them in La Liga, which is another win, especially after an unconvincing performance further enhancing the sense that momentum now lies with Atletico’s rivals.
Defeat also compounded what Valladolid coach Sergio admitted on Sunday had already been a “rough week” after five of his players tested positive for Covid-19, leaving him without 12 players, with six others injured and one more suspended.
