Barca Atletic showcased one of their strongest performances of the season against Teruel.
Barça Atlètic put on one of the most complete performances of the season in Teruel (2-4) and are now allowed to dream of a possible promotion. The Barcelona B team had a spectacular first half, which set the tone for the match, although they faced some complications in the second half after conceding a local goal. Naim led the Catalan side with a brace and an assist, continuing the great dynamic that the team has been achieving. The Catalan team will conclude matchday 28 just one point behind the league leaders. Following yesterday’s draws for Gimnàstic and Deportivo, and even if Ponfe wins today (8 PM), Marquez’s team is more alive than ever, now sitting at 52 points.
According to Mario Rios of Mundo Deportivo the first 45 minutes were perfect for Rafa Márquez’s team. Despite no clear dominance, the Barcelona B side left with a spectacular 0-3 lead at halftime, leaving Teruel baffled at the Pinilla Stadium. The match started without a clear dominator, but Naim tipped the scale in favor of Barça from the beginning. The player, loaned from Leganés, unleashed a powerful shot from 25 meters that Taliby could only watch as it found the top corner. Thus began his outstanding performance in a match that promised to be sweet for him.
Despite the early blow, Teruel did not give up and tried to recover through crosses and corner plays, which Barcelona defended well. Just when Raúl Jardiel’s team was starting to recover and threatening Astralaga’s goal, Mbacke appeared as a pure ‘9’ to head a rebounded shot from Darvich and make it 0-2 in the blink of an eye. The scoreline did not reflect reality, but from the second Barça goal onwards, the B team played with the local team’s urgency and controlled the game.
Teruel continued pressing high, driven by their cheering fans, and Rafa Márquez’s side took advantage of that pressure to achieve a remarkable 0-3 lead. Mbacke initiated a precise play for Bernal to fix and filter the perfect pass between lines for Moha, who just managed to extend the play enabling Naim. The Madrid-born player faced his opponent and calmly set up Darvich’s debut goal for Barça with another impossible shot for Taliby. Three shots on target, three goals, and the local fans began to leave before the 45th minute. The second half did not start with a much different dynamic from the first, but Barça’s B team eased off due to the lead obtained. Teruel kept trying, and their effort paid off in the 61st minute. Carmona was the smartest of all, capitalizing on a play with many rebounds to poke the ball into the penalty spot and score the first goal for the home team.
That goal revived the fans, and the locals enjoyed their best minutes after that. Teruel had several approaches after the goal, and with 25 minutes left, there was a feeling that Jardiel’s team was fully back in the game if they could beat Astralaga again. The locals had that chance with a shot from Ahn hitting the crossbar in the 71st minute. Borja Martínez crossed well to Moha, setting up the South Korean to narrow the gap, but forgiving against this Barça Atlètic has consequences.
Once again, Naim dashed all hopes for Teruel with another impossible shot for Taliby. Cuéllar assisted him, and the winger sealed the game with the fourth goal, a low shot far from the goalkeeper’s reach. To conclude the match, Facu García scored a goal that found its way into the back of the net after hitting the Basque goalkeeper’s back.
