Thanks, Adan! A Madridsta breathes life into Barça

Real Madrid had won. Just. But they had won, with a goal from Gareth Bale. Atletico had won. Just, too. But they had won, with a goal from Antoine Griezmann. FC Barcelona, then, had no choice but to beat Real Betis to continue at the top of La Liga. To continue dreaming of a title which looked won six weeks ago and has become complicated since then. And Barça won. Just, too. Only just. And thanks to a present from declared Madridsta Adan, who gifted Ivan Rakitic the opening goal. 

FC Barcelona's first half was a shipwreck. In terms of attitude and in terms of football. A team that is fighting for La Liga cannot come out for a game like Luis Enrique's side did at the Benito Villamarin. The Blaugrana showed the sort of form which saw them pick up one point from 12 games recently. Against a Betis side, too, that were creating very little danger. Barça didn't create a single clear-cut chance in the first half. And they had luck on their side as Heiko Westermann was sent off for two unnecessary fouls. Playing against 10 men for nearly an hour was a big help. 

The second half wasn't better. Unlike against Deportivo (8-0) and Sporting (6-0), when Barça were able to create a lot of chances on goal (and score them, especially Luis Suarez), on Saturday they hardly created any dangerous openings. Fortunately, Adan was made to eat his words ("we want to mess up La Liga for Barça"), because he made a schoolboy error, as did his team-mate Pezzella, allowing Rakitic a tap in. 

And that was it. Lamentably. Well, not quite: there was the goal from Luis Suarez (who is on track to win the Pichichi and the Golden Shoe), but not much else. Because this Barça is running on empty. They have no football. No ideas. They can still win the league, of course. They depend on themselves. Win the next two games and they will be champions again. But the sensations don't accompany that. Not at all. How difficult they are making this end to the season!