On 20 December, one of the matches of the 18th round of the Spanish football championship took place. Barcelona (Spain) and Almeria (Spain) met.
Spanish Championship, 18th round
Barcelona (Spain) - Almeria (Spain) - 3:2 ( 1:1)
Goals: Rafinha (33), Roberto (60), Roberto (83) - Baptistao (41), Gonzalez (71).
Warnings: A. Pozo (5), Rafinha (15), Christensen (21), Dion Lopi (57), Iddrisu Baba (85), Ronald Araujo (90)
Barcelona beat Almeria in a thrilling La Liga encounter In a much-anticipated La Liga match, Barcelona hosted Almeria at the Estadi Olimpic Lluís Compagnies stadium. The game promised an exciting clash between two talented teams, and it certainly did not disappoint. With the score at 1-1 at half-time, the match kept the fans in suspense until the final whistle when Barcelona claimed a 3-2 victory. The game started at a tense pace, with both teams looking to seize the initiative. However, Almeria were the first to bleed: in the 15th minute, Barcelona's Rafinha was shown a yellow card. It didn't take Barcelona long to respond as Rafinha redeemed himself with a superb goal in the 33rd minute to put his team on level terms. Just before the break, Almeria managed to break through Barcelona's defence once more, with Leo Baptistao striking in the 41st minute. The teams went to the locker rooms with the score at 1:1, leaving all the energy for the second half. At the start of the second half, Barcelona wasted no time in making substitutions, bringing on Joao Felix and F. Torres to bring fresh energy into the attack.
These substitutions bore fruit: in the 60th minute S. Roberto struck the goal "Barcelona". Roberto hit the Barcelona goal, putting his team ahead. However, Almeria were not going to concede and valiantly resisted. E. Gonzalez scored in the 71st minute and Barcelona were forced to look for ways to regain control of the game. Sensing the need for change, Almeria made tactical substitutions, bringing on A. Embarba and Lazaro in the 77th minute. But Barcelona had a few more tricks up their sleeve. In the 83rd minute, S. Roberto once again showed his class, scoring another goal and securing the victory for his team. The match was not without drama: Almeria players A. Pozo and I. Baba received yellow cards, as well as Barcelona players Rafinha and R. Araujo in the final minutes of the game. The final whistle heralded a deserved victory for Barcelona in a thrilling match. The match demonstrated the skill, determination and resilience of both teams. Barcelona's clinical play and ability to capitalise on key moments was the deciding factor in this tense La Liga encounter. As they left the pitch, both teams could hold their heads high for giving football fans an unforgettable match. The Lewis Kompanys Olympic Stadium witnessed a truly exciting football match that emphasised the excitement and passion that La Liga brings from week to week.
The next round of fixtures awaiting the rivals are Las Palmas vs Barcelona and Osasuna vs Almeria.
| Barcelona | Almeria | |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Kicks to the goal | 5 |
| 29 | Kicks | 9 |
| 5 | Blocked shots | 1 |
| 23 | Penalty kicks | 8 |
| 6 | Kicks from outside the penalty box | 1 |
| 14 | Offences | 9 |
| 12 | Corner | 0 |
| 3 | Offsides | 3 |
| 65% | Ball possession | 35% |
| 3 | Yellow cards | 3 |
| 0 | Red cards | 0 |
| 3 | Keeper saves | 8 |
| 577 | Total assists | 306 |
| 514 | Accurate assists | 228 |
| 89% | Accuracy of passes | 75% |