Barca breeze past Celta
Defender Araujo exists field in ambulance after concussion
Pierre- Emerick Aubameyang scored twice as Barcelona tightened their grip on second place in La Liga on Tuesday with a 3- 1 win at home to Celta Vigo.
But Barca’s victory was overshadowed by a nasty head injury to defender Ronald Araujo, who had to be taken away in an ambulance in the 64th minute of the match.
Araujo was lifted into the ambulance on a stretcher, wearing a neck brace. Barcelona confirmed the 23- year- old “suffered a concussion and has been taken to the hospital to undergo further testing.”
After the game, Barca coach Xavi Hernandez said, “The doctor has told us he is conscious. He will spend the night in hospital but he is out of danger.
“The doctor said we shouldn’t worry, that he will spend the night in hospital as a precaution, nothing more.”
Araujo’s injury came after he and Gavi banged heads challenging for the same ball. Araujo stumbled on for a few seconds before dropping to the floor as a concerned Iago Aspas and Eric Garcia called urgently for the medics.
The Uruguayan was put into the recovery position and after a few minutes, he was lifted into an ambulance that had driven onto the pitch.
Aubameyang’s double either side of halftime came after Memphis Depay had opened the scoring at Camp Nou. u. Celta pulled one back through Aspas but any hopes of a comeback were dashed ed when Jeison Murillo was sent off just before the hour.
“We were effective but we didn’t dn’t play well,” said Xavi. “It was simpler against 10 men but we struggled against 11.”
Barca move seven points ahead of Sevilla and eight in front nt of Atletico Madrid, with Sevilla and Atletico playing each other at the Wanda a Metropolitano on Sunday.
Real Madrid, who have already dy been crowned champions, sit nine points oints clear of Xavi Hernandez’s side at the top of the table, with a game in hand.
Securing qualification for next xt season’s Champions League last weekend eekend means Xavi’s primary objective has already been achieved but the club’s lub’s dire financial situation means the team am can
still not afford to let up.
Every place toward the top of La Liga is worth around 7 million euros while qualifying for the four- team Spanish Super Cup by finishing in the top two is worth another eight million euros to the Catalans.
Electric Aubameyang
They should have the runners- up spot sewn up after another victory that owed much to Aubameyang, the 32- year- old scoring his 12th and 13th goals since joining Barcelona from Arsenal in January.
Aubameyang’s electric early form has slowed a little in recent weeks but it is hard to think of a Barca player who has made a bigger contribution to their resurgence in the second half of the season.
Depay’s game time has suffered as a result of Aubameyang’s Aubameyang s form but they both started against Celta and it was Depay who gave the hosts the lead in the 30th minute, sweeping in after s superb run down the right by Ousmane Dembele.
Depay then turned provider for Aubameyang’s first as he latched onto Jordi Alba’s through ball and crossed for his Gabonese teammate to finish on the turn four minutes before halftime.
Three minutes after the restart, it was three as Dembele repeated his earlier trick, driving down the right, rolling left, this time for the sprinting Aubameyang to steer into the corner.
Aspas capitalized on a Barcelona error as Araujo was caught on his heels after Marc- Andre ter Stegen passed out to him in the penalty area. But eight minutes later, Murillo was sent off for preventing Depay from going through and Celta’s momentum was gone.
Earlier on Tuesday, fifth- placed Real Betis thrashed Valencia 3- 0 away to keep alive their hopes of finishing in the top four and qualifying for the Champions League next season.
In a rematch of last month’s Copa del Rey final that Betis won on a penalty shootout, Manuel Pellegrini’s side once again came out on top.
This time they earned victory thanks to second- half goals from Willian Jose, Sergio Canales and Borja Iglesias.
Betis climbed to 61 points, three behind fourth- placed Atletico Madrid, who have a game in hand and will face Elche on Wednesday.
Valencia’s struggles continued as they sit 10th in standings on 44 points with no chance of qualifying for European competition next season. Their last win in all competitions was a 1- 0 victory at Elche back in mid- March.
Betis closed the gap to Atletico Madrid in fourth to three thre points, with Atletico playing a game in hand away at Elche Elch on WednesWedne
day.