Diego Alves stops a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo on the brink of half-time, ensuring the visitors kept their 2-0 lead at the break. PHOTO: AFP
The league leaders are now four points clear with two games to play after claiming a comfortable 2-0 win over David Moyes’s Real Sociedad thanks to goals from Neymar and Pedro Rodriguez.
Barcelona can now seal the title when they travel to reigning champions Atletico Madrid next Sunday should a potential players’ strike due for the weekend be called off.
Pedro Rodriguez scored a stunning overhead kick as Barcelona recorded their 28th win in 30 matches since being beaten by Sociedad back in January; the goal doubling the home side’s advantage and allowing them to avoid any nervy final moments.
“We did everything to score and in the end the goals arrived,” said Neymar, whose opener was his 50th goal for the Catalans — but only his second with his head. “We have played a lot of big games recently in which you have to make a big effort and Sociedad are a difficult team to play against.”
Meanwhile, in the later kick-off at the Santiago Bernabeu, first-half goals from Paco Alcacer and Javi Fuego gave Valencia a commanding half-time lead.
However, despite goalkeeper Diego Alves denying Ronaldo from the spot just before the break, Madrid roared back in the second-half to earn a point thanks to goals from Pepe and Isco.
Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti knows how difficult the uphill task at hand is. “There are two games to go, we need to win them, but obviously it is more difficult [to win the league],” admitted Ancelotti.
However, the Italian refuted suggestions the result could be a blow to his side’s confidence ahead of their crucial Champions League semi-final, second-leg against Juventus.
“The result isn’t good, but the performance was the complete opposite. We had a lot of chances, hit the post three times, missed a penalty, sometimes it just isn’t enough,” he added. “We have a lot of positives from the game and if we play like that on Wednesday it will go well.”
Published in The Express Tribune, May 11th, 2015.
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