Elche 0-0 Barcelona: The league title will get decided at the Camp Nou

Full-time: Elche 0-0 Barcelona
Goals:
Match date: May 11, 2014
Stadium: Martínez Valero
Competition: La Liga
Barcelona line-up: Pinto, Adriano, Mascherano, Bartra, Daniel Alves, Busquets, Fabregas, Iniesta, Pedro, Lionel Messi, Alexis Sanchez.

Barcelona collected a second straight draw in La Liga, this time after failing to get better than a goalless draw against Elche, at the Martínez Valero stadium. With tonight’s draw, the Blaugranas at least secured their chances of still clinching the title in the last fixture of the Spanish League, thanks to the 1-1 draw between Malaga and Atletico Madrid at the Vicente Calderón.

Tato Martino made only one change to his team when looking back at the line-up he used in the previous game against Getafe, as he brought in Cesc Fabregas to take Xavi Hernández place. The team lacked the composure when it came off to finish their attacking plays and not even Lionel Messi managed to break the deadlock and deliver the win to the Blaugrana. Neymar keeps going through his injury recovery plan and we’ll have to wait a few more days in order to know if he’ll be declared fit for the last fixture of Barcelona season, next May 18 in the Camp Nou, against Atletico Madrid.

As for the game itself and as seen for numerous times this season, Barcelona couldn’t hide their inability to break a well organized defense and it ended up being Elche who got to earn the best goal scoring chance in the whole game. The hosts are fighting their own battle as they try to avoid relegation from Spain‘s most important football league and this Sunday’s 0-0 draw allowed them to add up another point to their domestic campaign that can very well turn out to be crucial after next weekend’s final standings.

Next Sunday Barcelona will go through what will necessary be their ‘game of the season’, as they take on Atletico Madrid in the Camp Nou and still holding a chance of becoming Spanish champions! However and for that to happen, only one outcome will serve the Blaugrana‘s interests and that will have to be a home win. As for Atletico, either a win or a draw will do… Both teams are currently set apart by 3 points in the Spanish League standings, but in the eventuality of the two finishing with the same points, it will be Barça who will come on top due to their head-to-head advantage. In any case and given how bad things have gone for Barcelona this year, no one can complain of the situation where they find themselves in at this stage of the season.

Sources: fcbarcelona.com / bbc.com / totalbarca.com

Watch the highlights video from Elche 0-0 Barcelona match:

Barcelona match photos against Elche: