Barca down Malaga thanks to Vermaelen strike

Andy West 09:26 30/08/2015
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  • Celebrations: Barcelona.

    Malaga might be the only visiting team to win at the Nou Camp all year, but on Saturday night they learned that particular form of lightning does not strike twice as Barcelona avenged February’s loss with a hard-earned victory.

    For once, the decisive moment was not provided by one of Barca’s stellar cast of attacking talent, but by a defender – Thomas Vermaelen, who put an injury-plagued first season in Spain firmly behind him by netting his first goal for the club inside the final 20 minutes.

    It was a deserved reward because Barca’s pressure was almost constant from the opening whistle, producing probing silky passing with the restored front three of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and fitagain Neymar always at the heart of the action.

    Suarez thought he had broken the deadlock after just four minutes when he nodded home from a corner, but it was ruled out by referee Santiago Latre for a push by the Uruguayan.

    Malaga nearly grabbed a shock leveller when Juan Carlos pounced on a loose pass on the halfway line and instantly tried his luck with an audacious strike which had Claudio Bravo stranded but grazed the top of the net.

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    But Barca were otherwise well on top, and came close to an opener when Javier Mascherano’s header following a corner clipped the crossbar, before Neymar and Suarez forced saves from Carlos Kameni.

    The hosts also had two strong penalty appeals waved away – one for handball, the other for a foul on Suarez – and headed into the interval frustrated with the deadlock still intact.

    Kameni started the second half by saving from Messi after a brilliant run by Neymar, and the visiting keeper again denied the Argentine star by clawing away a powerful strike at the near post.

    Barca were probing and passing but with little success as each cross or attempted through-ball seemed to be intercepted or hacked clear by the diligent, and at times desperate, visiting defence.

    Malaga’s hopes of gaining another positive result at the Nou Camp were starting to rise as their goal continued to live a charmed life, with Kameni making two more saves from Messi and a number of home team crosses just missing their intended target.

    But the richly deserved opener finally arrived when Suarez’s cross was palmed out by Kameni and the loose ball dropped to Vermaelen, who promptly thumped home a ferocious left-footed strike.

    Suarez hit the side-netting as Barca went in search of number two, but the hosts survived a late scare as substitute Charles missed his shot with the goal gaping.

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