Barca, without their '10 'and ten, clings to the League

And the third was lost. Javier Clemente, who had harvested two draws from their two games as coach of Sporting, saw the glass half full is emptied completely in a setting conducive to no surprises. The Gijón succumbed to Barcelona in a match where he was subjected to expulsion from Pique, where Barral had the nerve to match the race and where in the end, and inferiority, the Pep Guardiola threw pride to defeat (3-1) .

In all previous talked about the absence of Messi, which sanction had to watch the match from the stands. A few commented that without this equipment Busquets so is a little less. Guardiola chose to give the alternative to Keita after passing through the African Nations Cup and the mall did not disappoint. Given a Sporting who backed out with integrity, the tight marking on Cesc (which should act as '10 ') weakened local offensives arrivals, who emigrated to the boots of Iniesta.

The genius of Fuentealbilla generated spaces where we had and with Xavi, was built player in the final leg of the wager. Gagged by a Asturian defense densely populated, the club was determined to strike the first half in the center. Peter and Isaac Basin, Barca wings, scarce flew down the flanks and it was not until the end of the first delivery when the Catalans bonded a move that he finally managed to unbalance the address and overcome a serious Juan Pablo.

It only took a rondo in midfield, the speed of Hadrian and the wall with Keita to which the Brazilian only had to leave in tray Iniesta goal. It was one of the few occasions when the club found a crack in the rear sportinguista. He left with advantage on the scoreboard, but with a somewhat bitter feeling because of the difficulty encountered a rival who fights to get out of the well. After the break, and in the blink of an eye, worsened the landscape for the Blaugrana.

The expulsion of Pique marked the beginning and development of the second half. The center, which returned to the ownership at the expense of Puyol, dropped or De las Cuevas understood that Velasco Carballo, did not hesitate to expel the defense considered the last man in a clear goalscoring opportunity Sporting player. With the widespread anger at the Camp Nou and a Pique did not believe that Clement chose to give input to Barral, who pushed for a goal from center Mendy confusion.

With a man down, Barca stubbornly not give up the game. The easy thing would have been no risk and provide for good tie, but with nothing to lose and with the secret hope that the League may still be possible, and Alexis Tello entered. The Chilean was in his boots it 2-1 shortly after entering, but it was Sporting who declined to give the stroke. John Paul had to work back to a shot of Cuenca and while the stopwatch is not intended to stop.

It was then, in the absence of eleven minutes, when again a left Barcelona rescued concern. If last week was that of Messi , last night was that of Keita who, with an accurate shot, put the ball away from Atletico goalkeeper. A goal of the more unexpected the assault avoided the fief Catalan Spaniard. In 87 'the epic victory corroborated the goalscorer Xavi chipping the ball over and had time even to re-injure Alexis. Bad news for a great night.

Photo | FC Barcelona