Madrid (AFP)
Riqui Puig and Ansu Fati, is it improving? The young nuggets were the first glimmers of hope at the festival of FC Barcelona in search of a rebound for its last match in La Liga on Sunday at Alavés (5-0), before its European deadlines, in August.
Will the future of Barça pass through the feet of two promising kids? With a goal for Ansu Fati (17, 24th) and two assists for Riqui Puig (20, 34th and 57th), the Real Madrid dolphins treated their headache after the defeat against Osasuna (2-1) and the title of the Merengues on Thursday, and began to prepare for their 8th final final of the Champions League against Naples on August 8 at Camp Nou.
Final happy for the honor, or a real burst of pride? With this easy victory gleaned from the curtain of the last day of Liga, Barça offered a last dance in Liga in this match without stake, thanks to goals from Fati (24th), Luis Suarez (44th), Nelson Semedo (57th), and a double from Lionel Messi (34th, 75th) after the storm crossed this week.
Captain blaugrana, well set for a historic 7th title of "Pichichi", assumed his responsibilities with a double, after tapping his fist on the table Thursday evening after coming out of the bitter defeat against Osasuna, which made Barça plunge back into turmoil.
A big victory but a little satisfaction, before tackling in August the only competition that the Blaugranas can still hope to win to avoid a white season: the Champions League.
- Setién puts out the fire -
The men of Quique Setién, who momentarily put out the fire threatening him this week after the defeat against Osasuna and the cry of the heart of Captain Messi, easily dominated Alavés, and already had three goals in advance at the break (3- 0.45).
The technician, announced on the hot seat by the Catalan press and who met with club leaders on Friday to discuss his future on the bench of Barça, seemed to want to assert his authority with a few strong tactical choices: in addition to the alignments of young people hopes Ansu Fati and Riqui Puig, it was the Brazilian Neto who sealed the Catalan cages on Sunday, in place of Marc-André ter Stegen.
The good news of the last day, pending the return of French stars Ousmane Dembélé and Antoine Griezmann (affected in the right quadriceps), was the return to the field of the Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong, after an injury to the right calf, and entered 59th in place of Sergio Busquets.
The bad one was the exit on injury of the French international central defender Clément Lenglet (46th), visibly affected in the right iliac psoas, which forced Setién to form an unprecedented hinge Ronaldo Araujo - Nelson Semedo for the second period.
An alert to watch, while the Blaugranas will have three short weeks to prepare for their last big meeting of the season: the Champions League.
© 2020 AFP