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MADRID (AP) — With coach Xavi Hernández still in charge, Barcelona got back on track with a 1-0 victory over Osasuna on Wednesday in the Spanish league.
Young Brazilian striker Vitor Roque scored his first goal since joining the club in Barcelona’s first game since Xavi announced he would be leaving at the end of the season.
Xavi made the announcement after a 5-3 loss to Villarreal on Saturday, three days after Barcelona were eliminated 4-2 by Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals. He hoped that his announcement would reduce the stress and tension surrounding both the team and himself.
“I made my decision to achieve it, so that the team reacted,” said Xavi. “I knew that if the players could give an extra 1 percent, they would. And the fans were magnificent. “We need unity.”
But Barcelona still struggled at home against an opponent that played with 10 men from the 67th minute after defender Unai García was sent off with a second yellow card for a foul on Vítor Roque, who scored in the 63rd. The 18-year-old, playing in his sixth game after joining from Brazilian side Atlético Paranaense this season, headed in João Cancelo’s cross about a minute after coming off the bench.
The match was postponed from earlier this month due to the teams’ participation in the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, where Real Madrid beat Barcelona 4-1 in the final.
The victory put Barcelona back within eight points of Spanish league leader Girona. Barcelona is seven points behind Madrid, which can regain the lead if it wins in Getafe on Thursday in its match postponed due to the Super Cup.
Osasuna, which qualified for the Super Cup as Copa del Rey runners-up last season, had won two of its last three league games. He remained in 12th place in the rankings.
Barcelona striker Ferran Torres had to be substituted seven minutes into the match by a hamstring injury.
THE LAST DEPAY WINNER
Atlético Madrid remained in third place, just ahead of Barcelona, after a 2-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano, with Memphis Depay scoring the winning goal in the 90th minute at the Metropolitano stadium.
It was the fifth goal in five games for Depay, who had a goal disallowed for offside in the 82nd.
Reinildo had given the hosts the lead in the 35th with his first goal for Atlético, and Rayo tied with Álvaro García in the 42nd.
“We didn’t play well but fortunately we got the result we needed,” Atlético coach Diego Simeone said.
The victory extended Atlético’s unbeaten run at home to 28 games in all competitions. Their last home defeat was against Barcelona in January last year in the Spanish league.
Rayo, which occupies 13th place in the standings, has not won in five consecutive games in all tournaments. They had lost 7-0 to Atlético in their first league match this season.
Rayo coach Francisco Rodríguez complained about fouls committed by his players in Atlético’s two goals. He was sent off for complaining in added time.
Atlético’s next League match will be on Sunday against Real Madrid. Rayo receives Sevilla.
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AP Football: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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