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Robert Lewandowski got here off the bench to attain one and make one other as Barcelona beat Cadiz 4-0 on Saturday in a sport that was delayed by over 50 minutes as a result of a medical emergency within the stands.
– Report: Cadiz 0-4 Barcelona | LaLiga table | Upcoming fixtures
Barca have been 2-0 up with 10 minutes to play when the game was halted after a supporter suffered a coronary heart assault. Cadiz goalkeeper Jeremias Ledesma and substitute Jose Mari helped get a defibrillator and a stretcher to the supporter, who was later transported to a hospital. Cadiz president Manuel Vizcaino confirmed the fan’s situation was “steady” and the match ultimately restarted.
Previous to that, Frenkie de Jong had given Barca the lead together with his first purpose of the season, earlier than Lewandowski made it two from shut vary. Lewandowski then arrange the third for Ansu Fati after the restart, with Ousmane Dembele including the fourth in stoppage time.
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Table of Contents
1. Lewandowski stars once more as Barca make it 5 wins in a row
Lewandowski cannot cease scoring. He wanted simply eight minutes after approaching as an alternative towards Cadiz to attain his ninth purpose of the season, these targets coming in simply six appearances. He then confirmed energy and power to tee up Ansu for Barca’s third purpose.
Barca have been already within the lead when Lewandowski got here on within the 57th minute, however solely simply. They’d struggled to interrupt down a Cadiz facet that also have not scored this season, till De Jong’s opener within the fifty fifth minute. The Dutch midfielder’s first purpose since February got here after good work from Gavi, and the purpose additionally arrived with Lewandowski, Dembele and Pedri stripped on the sideline and able to come on.
Regardless of the purpose, Xavi caught together with his choice to carry the trio on, and it did not take Barca lengthy to complete the sport off from there.
– Cadiz vs. Barcelona paused for medical emergency
Barca have now received 5 matches in a row in all competitions and briefly sit prime of LaLiga forward of Real Madrid‘s sport towards Mallorca on Sunday. What is going to please Xavi is how they’re discovering alternative ways to win. They’ve struggled to interrupt down groups that sit deep towards them below Xavi — that they had solely received two of the final six matches they have been drawing on the break earlier than Saturday — however they discovered a method by means of on the Estadio Nuevo Mirandilla.
Subsequent up is a visit to his former membership, Bayern Munich, within the Champions League on Tuesday.
2. 9 modifications with Bayern in thoughts, however probabilities not taken
Lewandowski, Dembele and Pedri have been all on the bench as a result of Xavi picked his facet with Bayern in thoughts. Barca made 9 modifications to the staff that beat Viktoria Plzen 5-1 within the Champions League in midweek, and it instructed in a disjointed first-half efficiency.
There was a debut for Hector Bellerin, who did OK at right-back and helped arrange the second purpose, and we noticed a primary begin of the season for Gerard Pique in defence. In assault, there have been probabilities for Ferran Torres and Memphis Depay to stake their declare for extra common soccer.
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Nonetheless, each flattered to deceive and have been taken off early within the second half for Lewandowski and Dembele. Ferran will get extra probabilities as he comes again from an damage that sidelined him in preseason, however Memphis is probably not so fortunate. The Dutch ahead almost left in the summertime, however ultimately caught round because the sixth-choice ahead after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang‘s transfer to Chelsea.
3. Cadiz’s Barca run over, relegation threatens
The very last thing a staff which are backside of the league with no level or a purpose in 4 video games usually desires is a go to from Barca. Cadiz, although, may have been forgiven for welcoming a sport towards Xavi’s males.
Since they returned to LaLiga in 2020, that they had not misplaced to Barca, beating them twice and drawing twice, scoring 4 targets and conceding simply two. However that run ended on Saturday and Sergio Gonzalez’s facet, even at this early stage of the season, look in bother.
Cadiz have misplaced all 5 of their LaLiga fixtures to this point, failing to attain a single purpose and conceding 12 within the course of. It can’t be understated how necessary Friday’s journey to Real Valladolid is — for them and for Gonzalez’s future.
Cadiz (4-2-3-1): Jeremias Ledesma 7; Joseba Zaldua 6, Luis Hernandez 6, Mamadou Mbaye 6, Alfonso Espino 5; Alex 5, Fede 5; Ivan Alejo 6, Ruben Sobrino 6, Brian Ocampo 6; Lucas Perez 6.
Subs: Theo Bongonda 6, Awer Mabil 6, Tomas Alarcon 6, Ruben Alcaraz 6, Alvaro Negredo 6.
Barcelona (4-3-3): Marc-Andre ter Stegen 6; Hector Bellerin 6, Ronald Araujo 6, Gerard Pique 6, Alex Balde 7; Frenkie de Jong 7, Sergio Busquets 6, Gavi 8; Raphinha 7, Memphis Depay 5, Ferran Torres 5.
Subs: Marcos Alonso 6, Pedri 6, Robert Lewandowski 8, Ansu Fati 6, Ousmane Dembele 7.
BEST: Gavi, Barcelona
There have been just a few first rate performances on Saturday. Alejandro Balde did nicely at left-back, De Jong produced maybe his finest show of the season and Lewandowski was good off the bench, however Gavi stood out together with his vitality and high quality, and he additionally helped arrange the opening purpose.
WORST: Memphis Depay, Barcelona
It is not straightforward coming into the facet for minutes right here and there, however that is the scenario Memphis finds himself and there may be strain to ship at Barca when an opportunity comes your method. He didn’t step up at Cadiz.
What a second for De Jong, eh? His first purpose since February has clearly been well worth the wait.
https://twitter.com/ESPNFC/status/1568657555806900224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Then got here the sudden stoppage as a result of a medical emergency within the crowd. Due to some swift actions, the fan’s situation was stabilized.
https://twitter.com/tsf_podcast/status/1568693329449160704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Barcelona acknowledged as a lot after the match, noting that the consequence wasn’t the principle factor to remove from Saturday.
https://twitter.com/FCBarcelona/status/1568689516491284485?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
“[The medical emergency] was not a pleasant scenario for anybody. Well being and other people’s lives all the time come earlier than anything. Fortunately they have been in a position to revive the particular person and they’re wholesome and protected. We felt, each groups, that it was proper to restart the sport. We hope the supporter recovers rapidly. The sport is secondary in the mean time, but it surely was an necessary win at a troublesome place to come back. We created numerous probabilities, dominated the sport and it is three factors to keep up a correspondence on the prime of the desk.” — Barca coach Xavi
“Clearly we’re all affected by what occurred. Hopefully it was only a scare ultimately. Soccer is for individuals to get pleasure from themselves. It’s a privilege to have the supporters we now have, there have been an instance of humanity throughout what occurred — as have been the Barcelona followers. Because the captain of the ship, like on the Titanic, I’ve to be the final to leap. LaLiga is unforgiving. Now we have scored zero targets and have zero factors. However we now have to choose ourselves up. Now we have to eliminate the dangerous sensations.” — Cadiz coach Sergio Gonzalez
Lewandowski: 9 targets within the final 5 video games, his most in a five-game span with golf equipment since August-September 2021 (all comps). Throughout this streak, Lewandowski has scored 9 targets from 20 photographs (16 SOG), totaling 4.98 xG
Lewandowski: Turns into the fifth completely different Barcelona participant since 2009-10 to attain in 5 straight matches throughout all competitions. In that span, Lionel Messi did it 22 separate occasions, Luis Suárez six occasions, Neymar thrice and Pedro as soon as
Lewandowski: Has scored six targets in 5 LaLiga video games, making him the quickest participant to achieve that determine within the competitors within the twenty first century (André Silva scored six targets in his first six video games for Sevilla in 2018)
Lewandowski: Entered the sport within the 57th minute. This was his nineteenth profession league purpose as an alternative (Poland, Germany or Spain).
Lewandowski: Assisted Barcelona’s last two targets. It was the fifth time since 2017 he has had a membership sport of two assists and not less than one purpose (all comps)
Ansu Fati: twenty first profession purpose for Barcelona (eight of them have been as an alternative)
De Jong: First purpose for Barcelona since Feb. 22 (Europa League vs. Napoli)
Cadiz: LaLiga’s backside membership aren’t going to seek out the going any simpler within the coming week, with a must-win journey to Actual Valladolid (9/16, 3 p.m. ET, ESPN+) forward earlier than the two-week worldwide break. Can they lastly break their dismal run?
Barcelona: Xavi’s facet have two video games this week forward of the two-week worldwide break. First up is a tricky journey to Bayern Munich within the UEFA Champions League (Tuesday), adopted by the go to of struggling Elche (9/17, 10.30 a.m. ET, ESPN+) in LaLiga. Can they shut the hole on Actual Madrid?