Hey everyone,
FC Barcelona added 3 more points to their La Liga tally this season with a hard fought win over Valencia FC. It was always going to be a tough game against Valencia who play attacking football and are sitting 4th in the current La Liga standings, and the game did not disappoint by any stretch of imagination. There were goals in the 1st minute and the 90th minute of the match, and there was end-to-end football throughout the game separating these goals. It was tense throughout and match could have ended with any result until a late 2nd goal confirmed the result just seconds before the final whistle.
The encounter opened with a goal in the opening minute itself. Lionel Messi threading a perfect ball into the path of Luis Suarez to shoot from a tight angle. Suarez made the perfect connection to pierce the ball between the onrushing defenders and the Valencia keeper to give Barca the perfect start. The tempo of the game match remained high on both ends of the field, with clearer chances for Valencia in particular. Valencia had an opportunity to equalize courtesy a penalty awarded to them by the referee, but the Barca shot-stopper Claudio Bravo proved his worth to the side once again with a save to his right. He has been phenomenal with a couple more saves during the remainder of the game. It is very easy to forget that this is his 1st season in a Barca jersey and I must say that I'm mighty impressed with Bravo who took almost no time to settle into the first team this season to replace the great Victor Valdes. He has made his presence felt throughout the La Liga season and has proved to be more than a good signing for Barca. Bravo's consistency has allowed the Barca defense the chance to be more assured during the tough games, which was precisely what was missing last season and cost us titles. But it's all in the past now and Barca look stronger and more motivated than ever to win trophies again this season. It is going to be a tough run of games between now and the end of the season for Barca.
The 2nd half was much of the same and substitutions made by either side had little impact on the game as the level was already very high. Leo Messi seemed to be slightly off his best today despite some typical bursts down the right-flank. It seemed to me that Barca were trying a bit too hard on many occasions to kill the game with another goal and this always invited Valencia to attack. Leo finally managed to get on the score sheet though, a touch of fortune involved, to score Barca's 2nd goal of the game and his 400th overall in the Barca jersey. Congratulations Leo on this landmark and I hope he scores many more which help Barca win matches and trophies. Vamos Leo! Visca Barca!
On another note, Rafael Nadal lost to nemesis Novak Djokovic in the Monte Carlo masters 1000 Semi Finals. The 6-3 6-3 scoreline is deceptive but it was a lot more tighter affair than that suggests, although I admit that I'm disappointed that Rafa didn't manage to take a set off Djokovic despite a good start to the match. All in all, Rafa seems improved after returning to his beloved clay stretch of the season. This should help his confidence after his wins over opponents like John Isner and David Ferrer. That must have helped him a big deal. And Rafa can look to get even better in the upcoming clay tournaments leading up to the French Open. The chances are much more positive now than they were a few weeks ago. Keep fighting Rafa!
Thanks for reading guys & cheers! See you soon - yps05
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