El Pozo Múrcia v FC Barcelona: Third game required (2-1)

El Pozo Múrcia: Fabio, Miguelín, Bebe, Álex, Raúl Campos –starting five–, José Ruíz, Gréllo, Franklin, Lima, Ique.

FC Barcelona: Paco Sedano, Aicardo, Lozano, Bateria & Wilde –starting five–, Ari Santos, Gabriel, Dyego, Lin, Saad, Ferrao.

Goals: 1-0 Álex (minut 1); 2-0 Raúl Campos (minut 19); 2-1 Aicardo (minut 21).

FC Barcelona have lost game two of their league playoff semi-final at El Pozo Murcia, and the series will now be decided in game three, back at the Palau Blaugrana on Wednesday night (9.00pm CET).

The game got off to the worst possible start when Álex converted a Miguelín cross to put the home side a goal up in the very first move of the game. Barça then piled on the pressure for the rest of the half as chance after chance went begging, with home keeper Fabio in spectacular form. In the meantime, very little trouble was caused to the Barça defence, but in the final minute of the half, and totally against the run of play, El Pozo’s Raúl Campos volleyed onto the crossbar and the ball bounced into the net to put Barça frustratingly 2-0 down at the break.

It was one-way traffic in the second half as well, and the visitors soon managed to pull back to within one when Aicardo scored after a wonderful team move. An equaliser began to look inevitable, but the ball just didn’t want to go in. The final 20 minutes saw all of Dyego, Bateria and Lozano hitting the woodwork. All that constant pressure was to no avail, it ended 2-1, and all will now be decided on Wednesday evening at the Palau.