Fermin López showcased his prowess by netting both goals as Barcelona clinched a crucial 2-0 triumph against bottom-ranked Almeria, solidifying their bid for second place in the Spanish league.
López struck twice, once in each half, propelling Barcelona to a four-point lead over third-place Girona with only two matches remaining in the season. Securing second place guarantees entry into the prestigious Spanish Super Cup held in Saudi Arabia.
Barcelona’s remaining fixtures include a home clash against Rayo Vallecano and an away encounter with Sevilla, while Girona is set to face Valencia on the road and host Granada.
Reflecting on the victory, Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández remarked, “It’s a clear victory that moves us closer to our goal of finishing in second place.”
This victory marks Barcelona’s third win in four matches, although they remain 14 points adrift of the already-crowned champions, Real Madrid, who thrashed Alaves 5-0 earlier in the week.
Almeria, languishing at the bottom of the table with only 17 points from 36 matches, continues to struggle, failing to secure a single home victory throughout the season. Their only two wins came away at Las Palmas and Rayo Vallecano.
In another fixture, Real Betis was held to a 2-2 draw against Las Palmas. The match was marred by injuries as playmaker Isco was forced off due to a hard knock in the first half, while midfielder Guido Rodriguez also succumbed to a muscle injury early in the game.
Betis, initially occupying sixth place and vying for European qualification, slipped to seventh following Real Sociedad’s 1-0 victory over Valencia, courtesy of André Silva’s early goal.
Real Sociedad, despite winning only one of their last five matches, managed to clinch the crucial three points. They are scheduled to face Betis in the upcoming round.
Commenting on the match, Betis coach Manuel Pellegrini stated, “We are not happy but we played a good game. We lost two important players and had to make two early changes.”
Isco, a potential candidate for Spain’s European Championship squad, was substituted in the 39th minute, while Rodriguez exited the field in the 20th minute due to their respective injuries.
Betis maintains an unbeaten streak of six matches, comprising four victories and two draws, while Las Palmas ended an eight-match losing streak with the draw, although they remain in 14th place and without a win in their last 12 league games.
