Barca win in farewell match for Busquets and Alba

Beating Mallorca 3-0, Barcelona won their final home match in La Liga this season, bidding farewell to two legends, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.

Busquets and Alba also participated in the final match of the season against Celta Vigo, as well as the friendly match in Japan against Vissel Kobe. However, this was their last game in front of the Camp Nou crowd. Prior to this, the veteran duo announced their departure from Barcelona after the 2022-2023 season, concluding many years of dedication to the Catalan club.

Both Busquets and Alba were included in the starting lineup by coach Xavi. They were applauded by the coaching staff and their Barcelona teammates, and President Joan Laporta presented them with commemorative gifts. At the same time, Camp Nou’s giant screen displayed a video highlighting the memorable moments of these two players in the club’s colors.

Afterward, Barcelona had a relatively comfortable match against Mallorca, a team that had no further objectives as they had already secured their top-flight status. They opened the scoring in the first minute through Ansu Fati. Busquets played a key role in this goal with his assist, setting up Robert Lewandowski for a quick exchange and putting Fati in a one-on-one situation with the opposing goalkeeper.

Things became even more favorable for the home team when Mallorca’s forward, Amath Ndiaye, received a straight red card after a challenge on Alejandro Balde. It was a situation where Ndiaye was attempting to press aggressively but ended up being too eager for the ball and had to pay the price. Playing with a numerical advantage for the majority of the match, Barcelona easily dominated the game with 77% ball possession and had 20 shots, nine of which were on target.

In the 24th minute, Fati completed his brace. It was a similar coordinated play to the opening goal, with the only difference being Frenkie De Jong lofting the ball for Lewandowski, while Fati made a penetrating run into the penalty area from the left flank.

At the beginning of the second half, Ousmane Dembele had a goal denied as his header was cleared off the goal line by Martin Valjent. Later, Lewandowski hit the crossbar with a free-kick. In the 75th minute, receiving a pass from Dembele, Gavi took a touch, turned, and unleashed a powerful left-footed shot to seal the scoreline.

In the 81st minute, Xavi substituted Alba with Marcos Alonso. The experienced defender, who developed through La Masia, shed tears as he left the pitch. Shortly after, it was Busquets’ turn to make way for Eric Garcia.

Barcelona held a tribute ceremony for these two players after the match. “No one can take away the emotions and pride I feel playing for the best club in the world,” Busquets said. “I am both a member and a fan of Barcelona. I am leaving after achieving all my childhood dreams. But this is not a goodbye. I am confident we will meet again soon.”

After 37 rounds, Barcelona has accumulated 88 points, holding an 11-point lead over Real Madrid in second place. Keep following Live Football Schedule to update the latest La Liga fixtures, results, and news, as well as enjoy a live soccer game today!