Barca bounce back from Anfield loss
Madrid:barcelona’s Champions League recovery has begun and Getafe’s hopes of qualifying for the tournament could be over after they were beaten 2-0 at Camp Nou on Sunday.
Arturo Vidal’s finish and a Djene Dakonam own-goal saw Barca bounce back from their capitulation against Liverpool, even if their fans had not forgotten judging by the swathes of empty seats and scattering of whistles before kick-off. “It has been a difficult game for all of us,” said Sergio Busquets. “We are trying to heal a wound that isn’t small.”
Getafe might have hoped for their opponents to suffer a longer European hangover but instead they drop out of the top four, with one match left to play, after Valencia eased to a 3-1 victory over Alaves.
Valencia now sit fourth, level on points with Getafe, but in front due to their superior headto-head. They finish the season away at struggling Real Valladolid while Getafe are at home to Villarreal. Barcelona’s victory means they stretch their lead at the top to 11 points over Atletico Madrid, who were held to a 1-1 draw by Sevilla, and 18 ahead of Real, who lost 3-1 to Real Sociedad after Jesus Vallejo was sent off.
JUVENTUS LOSE, ROMA REMAIN IN EURO HUNT
MILAN: Alessandro Florenzi and Edin Dzeko scored late as Roma beat Juventus 2-0 to keep their hopes of Champions League football next season alive on Sunday. Dzeko set up Florenzi for the first after 79 minutes with the Bosnian then slotting in the second two minutes into injury time as Juve fell to just their third defeat this season.
The defeat came on the day that Juventus displayed their new strip which no longer features the club’s iconic black and white stripes in a breakaway from over a century of tradition.
Massimiliano Allegri’s side have not won a match since sealing an eighth consecutive Scudetto, being held to 1-1 draws in their last two games against Inter Milan and Torino.
Roma needed a win after their rivals Atalanta, AC Milan, Torino and Lazio all won.