Valladolid 0-1 Barça: Vidal goal forces Madrid to wait for title
Real Madrid will not be able to win the league on Monday after this narrow Barça win
Barcelona lived to fight another day in the title race as they beat Real Valladolid 1-0 on Saturday to move back within one point of leaders Real Madrid.
VLL
0 ________________ 1
BAR
LINE UP
Valladolid
Masip, Carnero (Nacho, 25'), Olivas, Javi Sánchez, Moyano, Joaquín (Hervías, 46'), San Emeterio, Alcaraz (Enes Ünal, 46'), Kike Pérez, Óscar Plano (Waldo, 80') y Sergi Guardiola (Sandro, 61').
Barcelona
Ter Stegen, Semedo, Piqué, Lenglet (Araújo, 57'), Jordi Alba, Arturo Vidal, Busquets (Junior Firpo, 74'), Sergi Roberto, Riqui Puig (Rakitic, 57'), Griezmann (Luis Suárez, 46') y Messi.
Goles
0-1, Arturo Vidal (15').
Árbitro
Mateu Lahoz (comité valenciano). Amonestó a Lenglet (40'), Alcaraz (45'), Kike Pérez (64') y Jordi Alba (78').
Incidencias
Partido correspondiente a la 36ª jornada de la Liga Santander disputado en el estadio José Zorrilla a puerta cerrada.
Arturo Vidal scored the only goal of a forgettable game in the 15th minute when he won the ball back in the Valladolid half and was then set up by Lionel Messi.
Madrid have a game in hand away at Granada on Monday and they will restore their four-point lead with just two games to play if they win.
Barca still have to play Osasuna and Alaves, while Villarreal and Leganes await for Madrid.
Quique Setien's side, featuring a 3-5-2 formation from the start, exploded out of the blocks in Valladolid and were dominant in the first half.
With Riqui Puig back in midfield, the passing was slick and quick and Barca created chances.
Vidal opened the scoring with a fine finish after 15 minutes, with Lionel Messi collecting his 20th assist of the season in La Liga in the process.
Barca had chances to extend their lead. Riqui Puig twice shot at Jordi Masip while Antoine Griezmann missed a sitter after good work from Nelson Semedo, who was a menace down the right.
Valladolid improved after the break and could have equalised when substitute Enes Unal's header was brilliantly saved by the reliable Marc ter Stegen in the visitor's goal.
Setien tried to make changes to sway the game, introducing Luis Suarez, Ronald Araujo, Ivan Rakitic and Junior Firpo, as well as switching to a 4-4-2 formation, but Barça couldn't wrestle back the control they had in the first half.
Another late save from Ter Stegen ensured they held on to the points, though, and kept the title race going for now. Over to Madrid.
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