Gavi Fighting with Crossbar and Girona Players! Hosts Draw Blank but Move 13 Points Clear in LaLiga
- last year
Barcelona failed to score at home in the league for only the second time this season but still moved 13 points clear of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga.
Impressive Catalan minnows Girona came into the game having only kept one clean sheet all season but they resisted everything a lacklustre Barca threw at them and were well worth their point.
For Xavi's team the target of winning the league is that little bit closer – they gain a point on Real Madrid, who were beaten by Villarreal on Saturday.
But there is a sense that the season is fizzling out, much like the form of Robert Lewandowski.
The Polish striker had a chance six minutes into injury time but his back-heel was cleared off the line and so he remains stuck on 17 league goals for the season – it's a healthy return but only four of those have come since the World Cup.
The 20-year-old has said he wants to stay at the club and was given his 11th start of the season but failed to muster a serious chance on goal.
He did play the pass of the night at the end of the first half to send Raphinha in behind but his shot was well saved by Paulo Gazzaniga.
The Girona keeper produced an even better stop in the second half when Gavi's header looked to be going under the crossbar and until he acrobatically tipped it over.
Girona had their chances too.
The best came midway through the second half but when put clean through Taty Castellanos sent his shot wide with Victor Tsygankov fuming to his right that he had not received the pass for what would have been an easy tap-in.
The Argentine forward was taken off almost immediately but his replacement Cristhian Stuani could repeat the feat he managed the last time he played at the Camp Nou – scoring in a 2-2 draw.
They did take another point from the Camp Nou however and are now eight points from the drop zone.
They will stay up and Barcelona will win the league – this result does nothing to alter those two destinies.
But it was definitely Girona celebrating at the final whistle and not Barcelona.
'We just want to win the league as soon as possible,' said Sergio Busquets on the final whistle.
'We struggled to create chances tonight and when we did, we could not take them.'
The 13 points ahead of Real Madrid, though, will be a consolation.
Impressive Catalan minnows Girona came into the game having only kept one clean sheet all season but they resisted everything a lacklustre Barca threw at them and were well worth their point.
For Xavi's team the target of winning the league is that little bit closer – they gain a point on Real Madrid, who were beaten by Villarreal on Saturday.
But there is a sense that the season is fizzling out, much like the form of Robert Lewandowski.
The Polish striker had a chance six minutes into injury time but his back-heel was cleared off the line and so he remains stuck on 17 league goals for the season – it's a healthy return but only four of those have come since the World Cup.
The 20-year-old has said he wants to stay at the club and was given his 11th start of the season but failed to muster a serious chance on goal.
He did play the pass of the night at the end of the first half to send Raphinha in behind but his shot was well saved by Paulo Gazzaniga.
The Girona keeper produced an even better stop in the second half when Gavi's header looked to be going under the crossbar and until he acrobatically tipped it over.
Girona had their chances too.
The best came midway through the second half but when put clean through Taty Castellanos sent his shot wide with Victor Tsygankov fuming to his right that he had not received the pass for what would have been an easy tap-in.
The Argentine forward was taken off almost immediately but his replacement Cristhian Stuani could repeat the feat he managed the last time he played at the Camp Nou – scoring in a 2-2 draw.
They did take another point from the Camp Nou however and are now eight points from the drop zone.
They will stay up and Barcelona will win the league – this result does nothing to alter those two destinies.
But it was definitely Girona celebrating at the final whistle and not Barcelona.
'We just want to win the league as soon as possible,' said Sergio Busquets on the final whistle.
'We struggled to create chances tonight and when we did, we could not take them.'
The 13 points ahead of Real Madrid, though, will be a consolation.