Rossi Tembus Dominasi Barcelona yang Bersiap Hadapi City
Rossi Sinks Barcelona as Warm Up for City Clash
Editor : Ismail Gani
Translator : Novita Cahyadi
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Madrid (B2B) - Real Valladolid tampil mengagumkan saat mengalahkan klub papan atas Barcelona 1-0 di Jose Zorrilla, Sabtu.
Satu-satunya gol kemenangan Valladolid dicipta Fausto Rossi pada menit 17 setelah diawali dengan tendangan pojok dan sepakan Guerra.
Barcelona yang mendominasi pengusaan bola 70%, dan enam kali tendangan ke arah gawang Valladolid, tidak juga bisa membalas gol pada babak pertama, seperti dilansir Yahoo Sports.
Upaya melalui Messi dan Fabragas masih bisa dibendung kiper Valladolid Diego Marino, sementara tendangan Neymar masih melenceng.
Pada babak kedua, Barcelona tetap mengusai jalannya pertandingan, namun lagi-lagi Messi yang membawa bola dalam serangan balik cepat pada menit 48, bola tendangannya dihadang dengan baik oleh Marino.
Meski sudah menarik Neymar dan memasukan Tello, kemudian Pique digantikan Roberto pada menit 72-73, Barcelona tetap kesulitan membobol gawang Valladolid.
Tendangan bebas berbahaya Messi di dekat kotak penalti pada menit 83 pun belum mampu membobol gawang Valladolid.
Valladolid bahkan sempat nyaris menambah satu gol pada menit-menit akhir melalui serangan balik.
Kekalahan 0-1 Barcelona itu telah tanpa sengaja membantu Real Madrid lebih aman di puncak klasemen.
Sementara bagi Valladolid, kemenangan itu berbuah kenaikan satu peringkat di papan klasemen dan sementara keluar dari zona degradasi.
Madrid - Barcelona slumped to their third defeat in seven league games as they lost away to relegation-threatened Valladolid 1-0 on Saturday.
Italian Fausto Rossi scored the only goal of the game as he slammed home from close range after 17 minutes.
Valladolid goalkeeper Diego Marino was forced into four saves by Lionel Messi, but it was Neymar who had the best chance to level when he ballooned over just before the hour mark.
However, the Catalans couldn´t find a way through and could fall four points behind La Liga leaders Real Madrid should Los Blancos beat Levante at home on Sunday.
Victory for Valladolid also has significant consequences at the other end of the table as La Pucela move out of the relegation zone with just their fifth league win of the campaign.
Defeat means the Spanish champions will likely have to beat Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in two weeks time to have any chance of retaining the title.
And with his side´s Champions League last 16, second leg with Manchester City just four days away, Martino admitted his side are a long way off their best form.
"It is clear that right now we are not in our best form and we need to be to be able to beat Real Madrid. There are still 15 days to go until that match for us to find ourselves. Right now we have the Champions League to worry about.
Despite the majority of his squad having been away on international duty in midweek, Martino named almost his strongest starting line-up with only Jordi Alba and Andres Iniesta missing out.
However, after Messi had forced Marino into an early save at the end of a swift counter-attack, it was Valladolid who had the upper hand in the opening half hour.
