João Félix netted an excellent bicycle kick to earn depleted Barcelona a 1-0 La Liga win at relegation-threatened Cádiz on Saturday as supervisor Xavi Hernandez rested key gamers forward of their Champions League quarterfinal in opposition to Paris Saint-Germain.
Barça moved to 70 factors, eight behind leaders Actual Madrid, whom they are going to face in El Clasico on the Santiago Bernabeu subsequent weekend.
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They’re two factors forward of third-placed Girona, who misplaced 3-1 at fourth-placed Atletico Madrid.
“We knew we’d undergo right here,” Barcelona supervisor Xavi Hernandez mentioned in his post-match information convention. “Cádiz are a properly organised and aggressive aspect. It was a extremely skilled efficiency.
“We wished to win to maintain the stress on Actual Madrid. It wasn’t simple however it’s three vital factors. We’re combating for LaLiga, we need to compete. It isn’t in our arms however it’s as much as us to attempt to minimize the hole on Madrid. There may be ambition, dedication … Everyone seems to be up for it. I’m happy with the staff.”
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Barça dominated the early phases and Félix scored the winner within the thirty seventh minute with a surprising strike, pouncing on a rebound from a nook to acrobatically volley residence.
The Portuguese ahead, on mortgage from Atletico Madrid, had scored a bicycle kick in his earlier go to to Cádiz, a 3-2 loss final season with the capital membership.
“I suppose this stadium offers me luck. It wasn’t deliberate, I simply reacted and it occurred. What an excellent feeling it was and even higher with a win this time,” Félix advised Movistar Plus+.
“We made an excellent sport from the beginning, it’s a very troublesome stadium to play at. We had been good up-front early and good on defence in a while, after they made a run as they’re combating for salvation.”
Added Xavi: “João Félix is a participant with baggage of expertise. He’s pleased right here. It is an excellent aim, however past that it was how he pressed and the way he understood when to go outdoors and when to go inside.
“We give him that freedom of motion to deliver his expertise out and it was an exquisite efficiency tonight. He has made the aim himself.”
Cádiz are 18th within the standings on 25 factors, third backside and three factors behind Seventeenth-placed Celta who’re simply outdoors the relegation zone.
As Actual and Atletico each received whereas resting common starters forward of key Champions League clashes, Barça boss Xavi took that call to the acute and made eight modifications to the staff who fought again to win at PSG on Wednesday.
Lacking Robert Lewandowski, Ilkay Gündogan and João Cancelo, nevertheless, they did simply sufficient to earn their sixth consecutive win in all competitions and lengthen their unbeaten run to 13 aggressive matches.
Apart from Félix’s aerial effort and a goal-line clearance by Cádiz defender Victor Chust from a Fermin Torres shot, Barça didn’t do a lot and had been saved by impressed goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen who made key saves to frustrate Cádiz.
Info from Reuters and ESPN’s Sam Marsden contributed to this report.