Barcelona farewelled Gerard Pique with a 2-0 victory over Almeria in front of over 92,000 fans at the Nou Camp.
The legendary Barcelona defender announced his intentions to retire after this match on Thursday after 14 years with the club and played a sound game, helping his side to keep a clean sheet in the biggest home crowd for Barcelona in three years.
Somehow the game remained scoreless at half-time with Robert Lewandowski missing a penalty, while Ferran Torres and Ousmane Dembele also missed gilt-edged chances.
Dembele opened the scoring within three minutes of the restart, though, taking a long cross-field ball from Sergio Busquets and then cutting into the box and slotting inside the far post.
The lead was doubled when opposition goalkeeper Fernando Martinez made one of many point-blank saves, this time from Ansu Fati after Jordi Alba’s cross, and Frenkie de Jong was on hand to blast home.
The result lifts Barcelona above Real Madrid at the top of the table, where they will stay at least until les Merengues play at Rayo Vallecano on Monday.
TALKING POINT
Typically unfussy end to Pique’s career – It would not have been fitting if Pique’s final game had ended with a dramatic performance – that wasn’t really his way in his stellar 14-year career in Catalonia. His longest partners for club and country, Carles Puyol and Sergio Ramos, were known for their desperate lunging challenges, and in the case of the latter, activity in the opposing area, but Pique was always the calming presence in defence.
In midweek, he and Marcos Alonso looked ill-equipped to deal with top-level opposition when Viktoria Plzen could easily have scored more than they managed in the 4-2 Barcelona victory. Tonight there was little drama despite the electric pace of Largie Ramazani in opposition. There was only one occasion when the Almeria striker got beyond him and Marc-Andre ter Stegen made a good save. Other than that, Pique never looked ruffled in a typically assured display the Barcelona faithful have seen so many times before.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Jordi Alba (Barcelona) – The Barcelona left back is along with Busquets the last reminder of the club’s glory days with Pique now gone, but he looks far away from hanging up his boots. There is no suggestion his lung-busting efforts up and down the field have declined now in his 34th year while his crossing remains accurate – and it should have reaped more reward in this match,
PLAYER RATINGS
Barcelona: Ter Stege 6; Balde 7, Pique 7, Marcos Alonso 6, Jordi Alba 8; Pedri 7, Busquets 7, De Jong 7; Dembele 8, Ferran Torres 6, Lewandowski 6.
Subs: Fati 6, Raphinia 6, Gavi 6, Christensen 6.
Almeria: Fernando Martinez 8; Mendes 6, Kaiky 6, Ely 6, Chumi 5, Akieme 5; Robertone 6, Melero 6, Samu Costa 5; Léo Baptistao 5, Ramazani 6.
Subs: Sousa 6, Babic 6, Eguaras 6, Puigmal 6, Portillo 6.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
5′ PENALTY GIVEN (VAR) – Torres heads at goal at the back post and it deflects off Kaiky for a corner. But they are now checking for a penalty. It struck Kaiky’s arm. It would be a very harsh decision. PENALTY GIVEN! And Kaiky has been booked. He had his back to the header!
7′ PENALTY MISSED! Lewandowski shoots wide of the target. Flicking the outside of the post after a stuttering run up.
28′ CHANCE OF GAME FOR ALMERIA! Ramazani was through on goal but ter Stegen made himself big and deflected his shot wide with his legs.
32′ KAIKY CLEARS OFF THE LINE! Torres drills a shot past Fernando but the defender was there on the line to clear the danger.
35′ TORRES HAD TO SCORE! Too easy for Alba getting through down the left flank and he plays in a perfect low ball for Torres to guide home but his first time side-foot goes wide.
41′ GREAT SAVE FROM FERNANDO! Torres was through on goal and should have shot but instead he chooses to square to Dembele, whose diving header is stopped by the keeper.
48′ GOAL FOR BARCELONA! Busquets plays a long ball to the right wing where Dembele dances inside two defenders and then strokes a balll inside the far post.
66′ GOAL FOR BARCELONA! Alba’s cross is met by Fati but Fernando stops and de Jong slams home the rebound.
