Barça B made a huge statement with a 4-0 win away to third placed Valencia Mestalla on Saturday thanks to goals from Alberto Perea, Gumbau (penalty), Marc Cardona and Martínez.
It wasn’t all good news though, for goalkeeper José Suárez got hurt saving a Eugeni strike after 21 minutes and was replaced by Varo for the rest of the game – just the second experience for the youngster in the reserve team nets.
He coped well with the role, although most of the action was going to be happening at the other end of the field, and just ten minutes after the change, Barça B led thanks to a great run down the left from Perea, selling two dummies before slipping the ball home.
Just a minute later, Alfaro was brought down in the area and Gumbau converted the subsequent penalty.
And what a start to the second half – two goals in a minute! Perea was off on another of his sprints down the left and his cross met Marc Cardona for a cheeky finish. Moments later, Martínez was heading in from a corner to claim his first ever goal for the B team.
The rest of the half was a mere formality, with Barça B’s lead always looking more likely to get wider than thinner. Perea and Cardona had the two closest chances, while the home side’s few advances were consistently dealt with in fine fashion by Varo.
An all-round first rate performance, and for one more week the reserves are sitting pretty atop their division.
