BARCELONA, Spain (AP) – Barcelona moved closer to a second consecutive La Liga title on Saturday with goals from Fermín López and Marcus Rashford helping them win for the first time in six seasons against Getafe.
Fermin dedicated his 45th-minute opening goal to injured Lamine Yamal, Barcelona’s top scorer and assist maker. miss the rest of the season He has a muscle injury but is hopeful that he will be in good health. world cup With Spain.
After scoring, Fermin crossed his arms and held up his fingers to signify the goal. “304” sign used by Yamal He celebrated his goal by referencing the last three digits of his hometown’s postcode, just north of Barcelona.
Rashford came on as a substitute and scored a solo run in the 74th inning to seal a 2-0 victory.
With five matches remaining, including the Clasico held at the Camp Nou on May 10, Barcelona has widened its lead over second-place Real Madrid to an overwhelming 11 points.
“We know we have a big lead, but there’s still a game left. It sounds like a cliché, but it’s true,” Fermin said. “I have to keep doing this before I can become a champion.”
Getafe’s physical, no-frills defense stymied Barcelona for six months at the Coliseum stadium. Barcelona have scored just once in their last five trips to the south of Madrid, with four consecutive draws and one loss in 2020. Barcelona last won here in 2019.
And Saturday’s match started as yet another struggle for Barcelona, until Pau Kvarsi won a tackle in midfield and Pedri González finally had the chance to force the Getafe defense out of position. The Spanish midfielder beat the hosts’ offside trap with a great pass forward and finished the rest with a shot that Fermin rounded David Soria.
Then, with Getafe pushing forward in hopes of a second-half equalizer, Rashford pounced on Robert Lewandowski’s long ball and dribbled his way across more than half the pitch, before slotting home Soria for a goal.
Barcelona announced on Thursday that Yamal will miss the rest of the season due to the injury. left leg muscle injury The previous day’s match against Celta Vigo, he scored a penalty and won 1-0.
“I want to give him a big hug from here,” Fermin said of Yamal after the match. “He’s very important for us. It’s a shame he won’t be able to play, but now he’s recovering well and will be able to play in the World Cup.”
Rooney Bulge, a rarely used forward, started in Yamal’s place on the right side of Barcelona’s attack. The 20-year-old Swede was Barcelona’s only chance to score, firing a shot wide of the target before Fermin broke through.
Under coach Jose Bordalas, Getafe continued to perform well this season, remaining in sixth place and in contention for a spot in the Europa League.
Madrid’s hopes of catching up with Barcelona were already fading, but they suffered a further blow on Friday when Real Betis scored in stoppage time. Draw 1-1. Madrid are aiming for their first consecutive season without a major title since 2019. The arrival of Kylian Mbappe.
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