Barca having fun in Ceuta

Barça having fun in Ceuta

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The leaders and champions of the Super Cup, long eliminated from the Champions League, also reached the quarter-finals of the Cup without breaking a sweat after a pleasant trip to Ceuta. The bottom team of Group I of Primera RFEF was a grateful spectator of the visit of a very serious Barça team and already chastised by their hard-fought previous placement against Intercity. Barcelona’s lack of victory also reached those watching the 3-1 win over Real Madrid in Saudi Arabia from the bench. Raphinha and Ansu Fati stood out in the Catalans’ easy win over an unpredictable and terrified Ceuta.

AD Ceuta FC

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Mejías, D. Alfonso, Alain García, R. Lafarge, Juan Gutierrez, Adri Cuevas (Pablo, min. 57), Antoñito, Jota, Alberto Reina, Aisar and Rodri (S. Casais, min. 77)

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Barcelona

Iñaki Peña, Marcos Alonso (A. Christensen, min. 73), Héctor Bellerín, Eric Garcia, Alba, Pablo Torre (Gavi, min. 45), Sergi Roberto (Busquets, min. 73), Kessié Franck, Lewandowski, Raphinha and Ferrán Torres (Ansu Fati, min. 60)

Gates 0-1 min 40: Raphinha. 0-2 mins. 50: Lewandowski. 0-3 mins. 69: Ansu Fati. 0-4 mins. 76: Kessie Franck. 0-5 mins. 89: Lewandowski.

referee Juan Martinez Munuera

Yellow cards Antonito (min. 39)

Xavi has evened out the more or less expected line-up considering Lewandowski and Ferran Torres are sanctioned for the league. The Pole was the only Supercup champion he formed with the substitutes, while the Valencian played for Ansu Fati, who was set to start against Getafe, especially after Memphis Depay’s departure to Atlético de Madrid. No one would call for the collective game but they would take care of personal matters as long as Barcelona’s passport was not in jeopardy. In any case, it was difficult for the Barça team to get into the game, overly faint-hearted, the defense complained with the intensity of the Ceuta forwards until the score was 0-1.

The 0:1, crucial

The opponent’s pressure, the size of the field, the wind and even the pressure of the ball seemed to bother Barça from the start, led by Sergi Roberto, who was used as a midfielder in the absence of Busquets and De Jong. Despite attacking little or not at all, Juan José Romero’s players easily contained the Catalans in front of the 6,500 fans waiting at the Alfonso Murube. Ceuta closed relatively well, they didn’t allow any inside spaces, they were always aggressive with the ball, very physically strong and focused on their pitch to avoid making mistakes that would punish them against Barcelona.

After half an hour not a single shot had been counted apart from a shot by Raphinha and a corner by Rodri. The Brazilian seemed the only one willing to solve the match alone and was the one who opened the shot on goal as the crowd cheered with the wave, not to be bored by missing football after the lively warm-up with a song by Shakira. Raphinha grabbed Kessié’s ball from the edge of the box and crossed in with his left foot for a shot that Mejías failed to react to in time. The Madrid exporter was less concerned with defending his right post than his 10 teammates to protect his frame until the 0-1.

The goalkeeper was also unlucky at 0-2 after Kessié pressed Robin when the ball came out of Ceuta’s area and intercepted his pass to assist Lewandowski. The ball slipped through Mejías’ legs. The goal of the Pole, who has already scored in the various competitions in which he has participated and scored 22 goals in 23 games, decided the fight against Ceuta’s disappointment.

The substitutions underscored the Catalans’ superiority: Gavi replaced the injured Pablo Torre at half-time, while Ansu Fati replaced the ailing Ferran Torres. It took Ansu barely 10 minutes to make it 0-3 after confronting the left top of the box, breaking the defender and completing Mejías’ goal. The ease with which Ansu’s shot was set up contrasted with the unfortunate performance of Ferran, who had to put up with some spectators’ jokes from Alfonso Murube when he was taken off the field by Xavi.

Ansu scored, as did Kessié, who headed in a good Raphinha cross, and finally Lewandowski repeated before Ceuta’s impotence, who won unopposed, surprised by Barcelona’s effectiveness and solvency. The Catalans don’t forgive Romero’s squad and Xavi even had time to introduce Alarcón, a youth forward who is known for his good relationship with goals, just like Ansu.

The Spain international was the most sought-after spectator at Murube Stadium. There were many Barcelona fans who were particularly pleased with the result and performance of players like Raphinha and Ansu Fati, who were rehabilitating at a time when there were few forwards available for Xavi in ​​La Liga. In favor of the scoreboard and clean-shooting in Iñaki Peña’s penalty area, Barcelona beat Ceuta after their liberating victory in the Supercup final. The Azulgranas no longer only fill up with the ball, but also with goals in the cup.

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