Despite dominating the game, Barcelona were held to a goalless draw by mid-table Girona in their Catalan derby clash at Camp Nou. The result extends Barcelona’s lead at the top of LaLiga to 13 points.
Barcelona’s lead at the top extended to 13 points
Barcelona’s hopes of sealing the LaLiga title were dashed on Monday as they failed to score against a resolute Girona defense in a goalless draw. Despite dominating the game, Barcelona could not find the back of the net and were forced to settle for a point. The result means they extend their lead at the top of the table to 13 points with 10 rounds remaining.
Barcelona’s lack of attacking intent was a major concern for coach Xavi, who was hoping for a reaction from his side following their 4-0 loss to Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey semifinal last week. Despite having the lion’s share of possession, Barcelona managed just two shots on goal in the entire game, with Girona’s defense holding firm. Barcelona’s poor attacking display will be a cause for concern as they look to close out the title race.
Domination without goals doesn’t bring points
Barcelona dominated the game from start to finish, but struggled to break down Girona’s defense. The home side came closest to scoring in the first half when Ronald Araujo’s shot did not completely cross the goalline before Girona goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga clawed it clear. Barcelona coach Xavi admitted that his side struggled to score and said that the responsibility to score was on the entire team.
Girona were content to sit back and defend, hoping to catch Barcelona on the break. The visitors had a golden opportunity to score in the second half when Valentin Castellanos was played through one-on-one with Barca goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, but he curled his shot wide. Girona defender David Lopez praised his team’s performance, saying they played a complete game and deserved the point.
Barcelona will be disappointed not to have taken all three points from a game they dominated, but the result sees them extend their lead at the top of LaLiga. The Catalan giants will need to improve their attacking play if they want to seal the title in the coming weeks.
However, defensively the team has been perfect the whole season. Xavi’ squad has kept eight clean sheets in their last 10 LaLiga matches, proving the great state of the team’s back. Barcelona will be back on Sunday against Getafe.
