paulinho moves barcelona seven points clear of madrid
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today
Arab Today, arab today
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today

Paulinho moves Barcelona seven points clear of Madrid

Arab Today, arab today

Arab Today, arab today Paulinho moves Barcelona seven points clear of Madrid

Barcelona's midfielder Paulinho celebrates a goal
Madrid - AFP

Paulinho scored his first Barcelona goal as the visitors came from a goal down to win 2-1 at Getafe on Saturday and open up a seven-point lead over Real Madrid at the top of La Liga.

Barca were dealt a double blow before half-time as record signing Ousmane Dembele limped off with a hamstring injury, before Gaku Shibasaki's sensational volley put Getafe in front.

However, Barca's often maligned substitutes' bench came to their rescue as Denis Suarez and Paulinho came on in the second half to turn the game around.

"I'm very happy to score the goal. It was the winner which was the most important thing," Paulinho told Barca TV.

"It was a difficult game because Getafe have players with quality and we conceded the first goal but we were calm, had patience and went looking for the result."

A depleted Madrid, without the suspended Cristiano Ronaldo, travel to Real Sociedad on Sunday looking to avoid dropping points for a third straight La Liga game.

Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid open their new 68,000 capacity Wanda Metropolitano stadium at home to Malaga later on Saturday.

Barca boss Ernesto Valverde made just one change from the side that swept aside Italian champions Juventus 3-0 on Tuesday with Sergi Roberto replacing Nelson Semedo at right-back.

Yet, rather than building on the momentum of four straight wins, Barca looked sluggish as Getafe enjoyed the better of the early stages.

"Fortunately, it was an important test for us. We managed to turn the game around and that power of reaction the team had means a lot," said Valverde.

The hosts should have gone in front when Gerard Pique nearly turned Shibasaki's cross into his own net and Jorge Molina somehow only fired into the side-netting at the far post.

Barca's flow was further disrupted when Dembele limped off with a reported hamstring injury that could see him sidelined for the coming weeks.

The visitors had barely got 11 players back on the field as Gerard Deulofeu replaced the Frenchman, before they fell behind.

Roberto's headed clearance fell invitingly for Shibasaki, who made his name with two goals against Real Madrid in last year's Club World Cup final for Kashima Antlers, to thunder an unstoppable dipping volley beyond Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Barca nearly responded before half-time as only a stunning finger-tip save from Vicente Guaita turned Lionel Messi's free-kick behind.

Valverde made another change at the start of the second period as Denis Suarez replaced Iniesta.

And it was the substitute who inspired Barca's revival as he collected Roberto's cut-back from the right wing before bending the ball high past Guaita into the top corner.

With Messi well-marshalled and Luis Suarez way off form for most of the second period, Getafe had chances to grab a winner themselves.

Ter Stegen was called into action twice in quick sucession to save from Alvaro Jimenez and Mauro Arambarri.

However, the hosts were hit with a sucker punch when Paulinho burst onto Messi's through ball and smashed across the despairing Guaita into the far corner.

Source: AFP

arabstoday
arabstoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

paulinho moves barcelona seven points clear of madrid paulinho moves barcelona seven points clear of madrid

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

paulinho moves barcelona seven points clear of madrid paulinho moves barcelona seven points clear of madrid

 



GMT 10:10 2017 Thursday ,09 February

3 Important Elements You Have to Consider

GMT 04:03 2017 Monday ,24 April

Bella Hadid ‘dying’ to visit Palestine

GMT 19:25 2016 Wednesday ,25 May

The Brooklyn Desk by Oeuf NYC

GMT 07:49 2018 Friday ,05 January

2 Russian servicemen killed

GMT 07:58 2018 Monday ,01 January

Italy orders N. Korea's envoy to leave

GMT 08:45 2017 Wednesday ,20 December

US military imagines war without GPS

GMT 17:26 2017 Sunday ,17 December

Putin thanks Trump for help in foiling attack plot

GMT 22:19 2017 Monday ,16 October

Cairo-hosted Fatwa conf. new contribution

GMT 02:27 2016 Friday ,10 June

Video hints Japan abetting illegal ivory trade

GMT 07:04 2017 Wednesday ,19 April

1,883 Bahrainis found jobs in March

GMT 14:24 2016 Tuesday ,22 November

Citi and JPMorgan top list of ‘globally banks’

GMT 21:43 2017 Friday ,01 September

People question Nazaruddin`s repatriation expenses

GMT 09:41 2017 Wednesday ,19 April

OIC concerned over violence in Mali

GMT 01:30 2017 Friday ,27 October

May22/Jun21

GMT 05:38 2016 Friday ,30 December

Dubai Airports divert 13 flights due to heavy fog

GMT 11:38 2017 Saturday ,14 January

Mexico names new ambassador to US

GMT 12:03 2017 Wednesday ,22 March

Kuwait to mark World Water Day

GMT 15:00 2017 Wednesday ,27 September

HM King receives invitation from Egyptian President

GMT 02:45 2017 Tuesday ,05 December

President Bashir arrives in Chad

GMT 02:45 2017 Wednesday ,16 August

Turkmen President Visits Pakistan
Arab Today, arab today
 
 Arab Today Facebook,arab today facebook  Arab Today Twitter,arab today twitter Arab Today Rss,arab today rss  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
arabstoday, Arabstoday, Arabstoday