Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s second half goal gave Barcelona a 1-0 win at Mallorca on Saturday and a provisional three-point lead over Real Madrid atop the Spanish league.
Ibrahimovic’s 15th league goal put Barcelona ahead after 63 minutes as the Swedish striker was perfectly placed inside the penalty box to fire into the roof of the net after goalkeeper Dudu Aouate had stopped Carles Puyol’s stabbing try.
Barcelona warmed up for a midweek Champions League match at Arsenal by putting the pressure on Madrid, which needed to win the derby against Atletico Madrid yesterday to keep pace with the defending champions.
Lionel Messi, the league’s leading scorer with 25 goals, were held scoreless for the second straight game after replacing Andres Iniesta, who left after 51 minutes with a leg problem.
Barcelona have 74 points to Madrid’s 71, while Valencia have 53 after a 3-0 loss at Zaragoza. Mallorca are fourth with 47 points.
Earlier, Malaga wasted a chance to open up some breathing room above the drop zone as they surrendered a late penalty to draw 1-1 with Tenerife.
Barcelona would have liked more goals ahead of Wednesday’s first-leg quarterfinal match at Arsenal, but the European champions still goes to north London on the back of five straight wins.
Barcelona hope to have Iniesta available. The Spain international underwent tests yesterday to determine the severity of his right leg injury.
“We were ourselves again,” coach Pep Guardiola said. “We were fantastic in the second half.”
But Mallorca were nearly ahead after two minutes as Aritz Aduritz swerved to beat goalkeeper Victor Valdes with a curling strike that came off the post to Chori Castro, whose follow-up from the opposite side was saved by the scrambling Valdes.
Pedro Rodriguez and Jeffren Suarez — starting in place of Messi and Xavi Hernandez — were involved in much of the play after that as the Catalan club controlled possession. Aouate tipped Gabriel Milito’s angled header over the bar in the 16th, with Barcelona driving forward in search of an opener after Pedro had a goal ruled out for offside.
Although Barcelona looked poised to break through, Mallorca nearly took advantage of their limited opportunities again, but Valdes kept Borja Valero’s precise free kick from squeezing in at the post in the 42nd.
Guardiola brought Messi on but Barcelona were unable to break the deadlock.
Mallorca enjoyed a good run right afterward and Guardiola responded by bringing on Xavi 10 minutes later.
“It’s never great that Leo rests but he finished the other day so tired,” Guardiola said. “In his half hour he gave so much. He didn’t tire.”
Xavi’s return from injury was marked by his corner kick that eventually found Ibrahimovic, who scored for a third straight game after a month long drought.
Ibrahimovic, full of confidence, used the top of his back to direct a pass to Messi moments later but Aouate saved the Argentina international’s rising shot.
“I saw Leo behind me so I got it to him,” Ibrahimovic said. “Easy.”
Goalkeeper Roberto Jimenez kept Zaragoza in the game at La Romareda with stops from Juanma Mata, Pablo Hernandez and Nicola Zigic, who was filling in for injured striker David Villa.
Diogo skirted across the face of the area in the 41st minute before unleashing a powerful left-footed shot that sailed past outstretched goalkeeper Cesar Sanchez to open the scoring.
Zigic made Valencia’s task harder after picking up a second yellow card during first half injury time, and Javier Arizmendi took advantage of a defensive lapse to be played clear into the area, where he beat Sanchez with a hard shot.
Jiri Jarosik completed the rout in the 72nd by guiding Gabriel Fernandez’s corner past Sanchez with his shin as Zaragoza moved four points ahead of Tenerife.
At La Rosaleda, the unmarked Antonio “Apono” Galdeano gave Malaga the lead in the 66th when he was gifted a free header inside the box.
But Tenerife equalized in the 84th when Patrick Jan Mtiliga brought Juan Francisco “Nino” Martinez down inside the area after he had rounded Malaga goalkeeper Gustavo Munua. Mtiliga was red-carded and Alejandro Alfaro stepped up to score from the spot.
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