Sergi Roberto fires struggling Barca to victory over Almeria

Barcelona’s Spanish midfielder #20 Sergi Roberto celebrates after scoring his team’s third goal during the Spanish league football match between FC Barcelona and UD Almeria at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Barcelona on December 20, 2023. (Photo by Josep LAGO / AFP)

Barcelona ground out an unconvincing 3-2 home win against basement club Almeria on Wednesday thanks to a late Sergi Roberto goal, moving them up to third in La Liga.

Xavi Hernandez’s side ended 2023 with a win thanks to Sergi Roberto’s double and a first-half goal from Raphinha.

Twice the 20th-placed visitors pegged back the Catalan giants courtesy of goals from Leo Baptistao and Edgar Gonzalez but it was eventually the home team who held out to claim the spoils.

The opening 45 minutes threw up several good chances for both sides as Barcelona set about methodically trying to break down the visitors.

It was nearly an early set-piece that did the trick for the Catalans when captain Sergi Roberto was left all alone in the centre of the box but ‘keeper Luis Maximiano did exceptionally well to keep out his headed effort.

The hosts then got a warning shot at the other end after Ronald Araujo missed a cross and Joao Cancelo desperately had to intervene to block Largie Ramazani’s effort in the 13th minute.

Raphinha opened the scoring on 33 minutes when weak Almeria defending, again from a corner, allowed Araujo to get a header goalwards, Maximiano made another fine stop but was unable to do anything about Raphinha’s lashed rebound.

Now in the lead, Xavi’s charges took their foot off the pedal, yet they almost got a second when Robert Lewandowski was gifted the ball in the box by a defender and only another excellent Maximiano save denied him.

This drop in intensity did