Barça Atlètic 3-0 SD Logroñés: Well placed for the playoffs

Barça Atlètic looked good on Saturday. Arnau Tenas looked especially good in goal. Roberto scored a brace. And the Barça reserves are momentarily third in the league and in an increasingly more powerful position in the hunt for promotion to the second division next season. 

Today's game with a classic of Spanish football, SD Logroñés, was a tight one for the first half hour. Barça had a lot of the control but weren't turning their domination into enough real threat until a wonderful move in the 36th minute changed the whole dynamic of the game. Carbonell delivered an imaginative ball through to Roberto and the striker exhibited speed and quality with the conversion.

It was after the restart that Arnau Tenas became the main man of the evening. Not only was he making save after save look routine, but he was also the first man in the Barça attack. The second goal was the goalkeeper's making, ending with a fabulous ball from Carbonell that Monreal ended up turning into his own net.

Senegalese centre-back Diounkou is also worthy of mention for some fabulous interventions but much as the visitors had Barça Atlètic under the cush, they were unable to narrow the 2-goal deficit and instead went three down when Roberto found the net for the second time. 

There were moment of uncertainty when Román Vega was sent off for a second yellow card offence, but any unlikely chance Logroñés had of getting back into the game was adeptly denied by an outstanding Arnau Tenas.

For the time being Barça Atlètic are third, although there are three teams beow them that have a game in hand and could theoretically move ahead. The battle for playoff places is hot. But Barça are one of the team that are turning up that heat. Watch this space.

MATCH STATS

Barça Atlètic: Arnau Tenas, Vega, Chadi Riad, Diounkou, Álvaro Núñez, Marc Casadó, Moha (Pocho, min 87), Carbonell (Txus Alba, min 72), Estanis (Fabio Blanco, min 72), Roberto i Luismi Cruz (Rosanas, min 80)
SD Logroñés: Jero, Manny (Jaime Paredes, min 62), Ruiz, Monreal, Monroy, Sarriegi (Ribeiro, min 75), Borja, Madrazo (Córdoba, min 62), Samanes (Emilio Lozano, min 75), Diego i Unzueta (Ángel, min 78)

Goals: 1-0, Roberto (min 36); 2-0, Monreal (propia porta) (min 54); 3-0, Roberto (min 78)