FCBARCELONA.CAT

13.12.2008 19:37

Jeffren returns with brace (4-0)

www.fcbarcelona.cat

Luis Enrique’s side cruised to 4-0 victory against Valencian outfit Oriola. The result stretches Barça Atlètic’s unbeaten run to eight games, and they now have 23 points in the table.

Luis Enrique gave a surprise place to Jeffren in the side after the player had missed three months through injury. It was a risk, but with striker Pedro missing, the gamble paid off and Jeffren posted a man of the match performance.

Jeffren, 2 goals in 2 minutes

Very little of note happened in the first 25 minutes, with Barça Atlètic in control but creating no danger. It was not until the 33rd minute that a splendid pass from Israeli Gai fed Jeffren with the chance to score. His strike was met with a slight deflection off the Oriola defence, which was enough to confuse visiting keeper Alberto and put Barça Atlètic a goal ahead.

Far from relaxing after that, Jeffren immediately after made it two, latching onto a defensive error from Oriola, and converting expertly to make it 2-0.

Verdés gets first for Barça Atlètic

In injury time in the first half, Víctor Vázquez played a killer pass into the six-yard box, and Alberto’s dodgy clearance created confusion among Oriola’s defensive ranks, which Verdés took advantage of to nod home the third.

Holding on

With the score at 3-0 it was just a case of holding on in the second half. Oriola caused some danger with a free kick that Benja headed nicely, only for Barça stopper Miño to turn the ball behind for a corner.

The home side’s first chance of the second half fell to Gai Assulin, who broke though on a one-on-one with Alberto, but the visiting keeper produced a great save to set Barça up with a corner.

Sublime skills from Gai

But there was more to come from Gai. In the 81st minute he went off on a dazzling solo run, passing three players before sliding the ball on to Abraham, who had little more to do than stroke it home to make it 4-0.

Nolito came close to making it five, placing his short brilliantly, but this time Alberto was able to get to the ball in time.