This Week in Barça B: Heartbreak

Barcelona’s youth affiliate went into last Saturday’s meeting with Catalan rivals Sabadell at the Johan Cruyff Stadium needing a victory to virtually eliminate a direct opponent in the race for the Third Division promotion playoffs and put themselves in great position to finish in the Top 5 going into the final three weeks.

Barça B and Sabadell played a physical, intense, close match that could have gone either way in the first half, but the young Blaugrana couldn’t maintain the same level in the second half and conceded two goals to Jacobo and Kaxe, and Sabadell left the Catalan capital with a 2-0 win and three gigantic points.

The defeat sent Barça back down to 10th place, three points behind Atlético Baleares in fifth place. Sunday’s trip to Sevilla Atlético is maybe their last real chance to stay alive, and Sergi Barjuan’s young troops need to find a way to win on the road against a relegation candidate.

If they can win this weekend Barça B will go into the final two matches with perhaps the easiest schedule remaining among all playoff candidates, so three points in Seville are absolutely crucial.

Time for Barjuan and the kids to step up.