August 20, (THEWILL) – Barcelona were made to work hard for their 2-0 home victory over Cadiz on Sunday evening.
The reigning La Liga champions struggled to break down their stubborn visitors for long periods at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys before Pedri and Ferran Torres struck late on to secure the three points. Xavi’s side dominated possession but found clear chances hard to come by. Cadiz defended resiliently and threatened occasionally on the counterattack.
The host’s 16-year-old debutant, Lamine Yamal, impressed for Barca, while Marc Andre Ter Stegen made some important saves at the other end. The deadlock was finally broken with just 10 minutes left when Pedri finished off a clever passing move. Cadiz threw bodies forward looking for an equaliser but were exposed at the back as the game entered stoppage time. Torres raced clear following a long ball from Ter Stegen to Robert Lewandowski to seal Barca’s victory.
While not a fluent attacking performance, Barcelona showed patience and perseverance to defeat tricky opponents. The win maintains their unbeaten start after one draw and one win as they look to retain their La Liga title. Xavi will be demanding improved sharpness in the final third as the season progresses.
For Cadiz, this was an encouraging display despite the loss. The newly-promoted side never looked overawed and gave the champions a real test. Manager Sergio Gonzalez will be hoping his players can build on this performance as they target survival this season. They meet Almeria on Saturday, before Barca’s trip to Villarreal same day.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
