Barca slips down again

Barcelona slumped to their third defeat in seven
league games as they lost away to relegation-threatened Valladolid
1-0 on Saturday.
Italian Fausto Rossi scored the only goal of the game as he slammed
home from close range after 17 minutes.
Valladolid goalkeeper Diego Marino was forced into four saves by
Lionel Messi, but it was Neymar who had the best chance to level
when he ballooned over just before the hour mark.
However, the Catalans couldn’t find a way through and could fall
four points behind La Liga leaders Real Madrid should Los Blancos
beat Levante at home on Sunday.
Victory for Valladolid also has significant consequences at the other
end of the table as La Pucela move out of the relegation zone with just
their fifth league win of the campaign.
“What we lacked today is normally what distinguishes the team; our
circulation of the ball and our movement off the ball to find space. As
a consequence of that we lacked penetration,” Barca boss Gerardo
Martino admitted.
“We lacked ideas, movement and penetration, but I didn’t in any way
see a lack of attitude.”
Defeat means the Spanish champions will likely have to beat Real
Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in two weeks time to have any
chance of retaining the title.
And with his side’s Champions League last 16, second leg with
Manchester City just four days away, Martino admitted his side are
a long way off their best form.
“It is clear that right now we are not in our best form and we need to
be to be able to beat Real Madrid. There are still 15 days to go until
that match for us to find ourselves. Right now we have the
Champions League to worry about.
“Today we didn’t play well, just like we didn’t play well in the game
straight after the Manchester City game, in San Sebastian (a defeat
to Real Sociedad). We will try to make sure it is the reverse on
Wednesday.”
Despite the majority of his squad having been away on international
duty in midweek, Martino named almost his strongest starting line-up
with only Jordi Alba and Andres Iniesta missing out.
However, after Messi had forced Marino into an early save at the
end of a swift counter-attack, it was Valladolid who had the upper
hand in the opening half hour.
Rossi opened the scoring with his first goal for Valladolid as he took
advantage of a ricochet off two Barca defenders inside the area to
fire past Victor Valdes.
Barca reacted as the first-half drew to a close and Marino had to be
alive to deny Messi twice from range before Cesc Fabregas also
tested the keeper with a drive from the edge of the box.
Marino made another good save just three minutes after the restart as
the Argentine squeezed a shot towards goal with his weaker right foot
from a narrow angle.
Neymar then had a great chance to equalise when he blasted over
from close range after being brilliantly played in by Fabregas.
That pass was to be the former Arsenal captain’s last significant
involvement as he was replaced by Alexis Sanchez with just under
half an hour remaining.
Gerard Pique and Neymar were also withdrawn as Martino made a
desperate last attempt to influence the game by introducing Sergi
Roberto and Cristian Tello.
Messi had another free-kick comfortably held by Martino eight
minutes from time.
And the result could have been even worse for Barca had Oscar not
wastefully spooned over Valdet Rama’s cut-back moments later.

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