Barcelona saves a point in San Mamés thanks to the stellar performance of their goalkeeper. Gray match of the Catalans in attack and controversy in the last action of the match, it fell in the area Semedo before the entrance of Yeray.
Neither the return of Messi to the eleven nor the return to the playing fields of Dembélé saved Barcelona from a new setback in the league. With the last two ties, the Catalans have given life to Real Madrid and Atlético, who now feel that the title is still within reach.
Because Barcelona was once again too predictable and too shallow. Messi capitalized on the Barça offensive game, but either he was not inspired or still is not 100% after his injury against Valencia and his slow set-up with a 'Classic' in between.
He did not have any of his classic races and, even so, it was the main offensive argument of the 'Culés', who said goodbye in the first half with only three approaches of real danger, a hit to the crossbar of Messi after bad exit of Herrerín, a center of Rosario that Suarez did not reach and again a shot from the Argentine before which he had more problems than the Atletico goalkeeper.
Opposite, Ter Stegen had already had to show his class in a hit with effect of Susaeta, although he reserved his best interventions for the second part.
In the first, Athletic managed to tie Barcelona with a forward pressure that first did not let those of Valverde play and then prevented the 'Culés' from thinking fluently when they reached dangerous positions.
After passing through the showers, Barça, knowing what was being played, changed the set. Monopolized the position and lived constantly on the balcony of Herrerín, fantastically defended 'to the handball team' by the rear of the 'lions'.
Perhaps the excessive dependence of Messi could cost too expensive to Barcelona, because the Catalans became a predictable set as soon as the fatigue began to appear for real.
The entrance of Muniain, surely programmed and trained during the week, punished the heaviness of the game of Valverde and his. Every time the little 'lion' went into action, Athletic generated a chance of danger. And increasingly clear.
After a good start to the counterattack of Iker, San Jose had the first really of the second half with still half an hour ahead. The midfielder, who had just entered, took advantage of a good assignment from Yuri to stay within inches of beating Ter Stegen, who followed with his eyesight how San Jose's shot did not turn into a goal of true miracle.
More inspired would be the German goalkeeper in an action that Muniain and Williams generated from nothing. He focused the small player and Williams had time, another of the great highlights, to outwit Piqué and shoot Ter Stegen. The Barça goalkeeper mimicked the Athletic defensive system and took a 'handball' hand to avoid a goal that San Mamés was already singing.
The last moments, with the rush, did not help neither rescue the triumph, but for Barcelona to claim a penalty from Yeray to Semedo in the last action of the crash. The play, which at first was overlooked, was revised by the VAR, but Del Cerro Grande preferred not to get wet anymore. He had just kicked De Marcos for a second yellow after a disputed hand.
If other campaigns the month of January has been presented as decisive in the fight for the title, February seems to be key to the resolution of this 2018-19. Unlike January, when only Atlético looked like a rival, Barcelona have won a new opponent after two silly setbacks. And the return of Copa and the Champions, with more fatigue than accumulate, wait around the corner ...
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