Barcelona 2-0 Cadiz: Hosts stretch lead to eight points
Barcelona 2-0 Cadiz: Robert Lewandowski scores at the Nou Camp for the first time since OCTOBER as LaLiga leaders stretch gap to Real Madrid to eight points
- Sergi Roberto opened the scoring shortly before half-time at the Camp Nou
- Robert Lewandowski then added a second just two minutes later
- The home side saw the game out with relative ease to extend their lead
Robert Lewandowski scored his 15th league goal of the season as Barcelona opened their eight-point lead back up at the top of La Liga, but it was Ferran Torres who picked up man of the match award.
It was his dazzling run inside the area past three Cadiz defenders that opened up the visitor’s defence leaving Sergio Roberto with the gift of finishing to break the deadlock.
It was a throw back to Torres when he first broke through at Valencia as he dropped his shoulder to get past Ruben Alcaraz before drifting beyond Fali before finding Roberto with his cross.
Lewandowski scored the second three minutes later and that did for Cadiz. The Polish forward hadn’t scored at the Camp Nou since October but he buried his chance from the edge of the area a minute into first half added time. Torres’ display will give his coach Xavi plenty to think about.
‘I want to make it hard for the manager to leave me out,’ said Torres when asked if his first 45 minutes was his best half since joining the club.
Robert Lewandowski celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal of the game
The striker finished well after receiving the ball inside the box just before half-time
Lewandowski (centre) is congratulated by his team-mates after doubling the lead
Barcelona were without the injured Pedri and the suspended Ronald Araujo. Another former Manchester City player Eric Garcia came back into the team alongside the outstanding Andreas Christensen. The central defensive partnership was not tested until late on when Cadiz brought on forward Chris Ramos and he threatened Marc Andre ter Stegen’s goal hitting a post.
As it was, this was Barcelona’s 17th clean sheet of the season. They have only conceded one goal in the league at home and seven goals in total.
They now need to turn their attention to Old Trafford and they will hope Lewandowski can continue his scoring form. He might have added to his account when he headed a Gavi header on to the crossbar.
Xavi said: ‘We practically won it in those three minutes before the break. We have played a lot of games of late and that showed at the end but I’m pleased.
‘We attacked well as a team and in the first half especially created chances.’
Asked about taking off Lewandowski and Frenkie de Jong late on he added: ‘I wasn’t so much thinking about the game in Manchester, more just about the fact that they have played so many minutes this season.’
Sergi Roberto celebrates after breaking the deadlock in the 43rd minute of the game
Roberto gave the home side the lead near the end of what was a fairly flat first half
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