The alarms went off at the Municipal Stadium of Linarejo at 19 minutes into the game. Linares went out to the field to stand up to Barcelona, without a doubt the plan was clear: go out and put pressure on Xavi’s team (something that would not last the whole game). Araujo was a surprise when he finished off a ball that touched the post, but it would not take long for the culé hit to arrive. Mingueza was not at all fine in the coverage and Hugo Díaz took the opportunity to put the 1-0.
The ghosts of bad play at Barcelona appeared but Xavi at halftime did not take long to make a move. Riqui Puig, Achomach and Araujo went to the bench and De Jong, Dembélé and Piqué replaced them to try to turn the scoreboard. Riqui was being one of the most prominent of the Blaugrana midfield but without a doubt the change that De Jong gave entry had a purpose, to free Nico. Barcelona was a disaster, diffuse, without a spark … And the second half starts in the same way that the first one ended, a Barsa overturned in the rival field and a Linares waiting against him as happened at the edge of the break with a clear chance of Jose Ma.
Dembélé, who came in for refreshment, put the tables with one of his classic plays, running on the right wing and hitting the long stick with his left foot. The situation in the Linarejo changed. Barcelona was coming up and regaining confidence in their game, the “Xavi effect” was beginning to see its fruits with the changes, and after a scare by a goal offside by Linares, Ferrán Jutglá put the 1-2 definitive. Linares had chances to force the extension but fortune was not on their side.
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