Barcelona 2-0 Cadiz: Lewandowski back at his best
Robert Lewandowski scored his second LaLiga goal since October, while Ferran Torres’ masterclass helped Barcelona beat Cadiz 2-0 to restore their eight-point lead over Real Madrid.
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Barcelona 2-0 Cadiz – Highlights
It’s not like the Polish striker has not performed lately, but not until the home game during MD 22 that he finally found the back of the net since months.
Captain Sergi Roberto’s opener and Lewandowski’s goal in the first half undid a near-bottom Cadiz side.
It’s not Barca’s best game, yet again, they found another victory while keeping another clean sheet for the 17th times in La Liga this season.
Such performance may be sufficient enough for Xavi’s side to step nearer to the title as they grabbed the seventh consecutive league wins.
Cadiz is a relegation battling side, but it was not like they let the host to have an easy game.
It was the visitors who almost had a breakthrough at the 19th minute, when Roger was flagged offside after he was found by Santiago Arzamendia’s sublime pass.
There was sign of goals for Barca as Ferran Torres was significantly good from the right flank as the Spanish forward created chances after chances.
The home team finally broke the deadlock at the 41st minute, from Torres – Lewandowski combination. Lewy pulled a header from Torres’s cross but kicked off the line by Isaac Carcelen but only as far as Sergi Roberto, who slammed it back into the back of the net from eight yards.
Within three minutes before the half-time break, Lewandowski doubled the lead with a clinical low strike to register his 15 league goals this season.
The former Bayern Munich striker prodded a shot against the top of the bar early in the second half, before Cadiz’s Roger had a second goal disallowed after finishing well from a corner, with team-mate Fali penalised for a nudge into Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
The visitors perhaps had reason to feel aggrieved, and Cadiz kept pushing, with Ter Stegen saving well from substitutes Fede San Emeterio and Chris Ramos late in the game, before Anthony Lozano headed against the left post. It wasn’t to be their night.
Barca broke the Cadiz’s curse
It has been never easy for the Catalan side every time facing the Andalusia side.
In fact, Barca only managed to beat Sergio Gonzalez twice this season of La Liga 2022/23, while failed to do so in the previous season including two home games at Camp Nou (1L 2D).
Xavi made six changes for this game, a test of his squad depth, and the Spanish manager’s side showed they have enough in reserve for games against this level of opposition.
Lewy is back
One goal in his last five games ahead to MD 22, but it was a strong sign of Lewandowski to be back at his scoring form.
Scored the decisive home goal, Lewandowski is now among the fastest players to reach 15 league goals in the 21st century.
In face, his 15th goal came in his 19th LaLiga game, making him the second-fastest player to reach that number in the competition in the 21st century, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo (15 goals in 17 league games for Real Madrid).
Key Opta Facts:
- La Liga’s top of the standing club have kept a clean sheet in 17 games in LaLiga this season, the highest tally for any team after 22 games surpassing Deportivo de La Coruna in 1993-94 (16).
- The Blaugrana have conceded just seven goals in 22 games in LaLiga this season, setting the record for fewest goals conceded after 22 games in a single campaign (nine for Barcelona in 1986-87, Deportivo in 1993-94 and Atletico Madrid in 2017-18).
- Sergi Roberto has scored and assisted in a single LaLiga game for the first time, and he has been decisive in two goals in a single game in the competition for the first time since November 2020 v Real Betis (2 assists).
- Lewandowski scores every 0.8 games this season, the fourth highest tally in the Top 5 European leagues this season among the players with 5+ goals scored after Erling Haaland (1.13), Victor Osimhen (1) and Karim Benzema (0.9).
Author Details
TOM is a dedicated soccer writer whose words come alive on the page, mirroring the electric energy of the pitch. With a keen eye for detail and an unbridled love for the sport
