BARCELONA: Title-chasing Barcelona were held to a 0-0 draw by Girona at Camp Nou on Monday, extending their lead on Real Madrid at the top of La Liga by one point, now sitting 13 clear with 10 games remaining.
Still smarting from their Clasico humiliation by Madrid last week in the Copa del Rey, Barcelona were far from their best in a Catalan derby clash, despite the motivation of seeing the champions lose on Saturday against Villarreal.
Girona, mid-table, were solid and forced Xavi Hernandez’s side to drop points at home in La Liga for only the third time this season.
Barcelona secured their 21st clean sheet in the top flight but were not able to fully capitalize on Real Madrid’s stumble, as they bid to win La Liga for the first time since 2019.
“As the minutes passed, they started to gain confidence in defense, and we were struggling to make the final pass or take our chances,” Barca captain Sergio Busquets told DAZN.
“Our objective remains the same, to win La Liga, and to try to win it as soon as possible. We’re 13 points clear, but our objective remains the same.”
Xavi, still without several key players including Pedri and Ousmane Dembele, lined up with Ansu Fati and Raphinha alongside La Liga’s top scorer Robert Lewandowski up front.
The Polish forward came close to opening the scoring on four minutes after being teed up by Fati, whipping an effort onto the roof of the net.
Barcelona came close again when Girona defender Santi Bueno almost put through his own net but goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga reacted well to slide in and divert the ball to safety.
The former Tottenham goalkeeper saved well from Raphinha at his near post and then clawed away a Ronald Araujo effort from the resulting corner.
Barcelona appealed that the ball had gone in but with the help of VAR — La Liga does not use goal-line technology — officials decided the ball did not cross the line.
Eric Garcia headed over from a corner early in the second half as Barcelona kept looking for the opener.
However the best chance of the game fell to the visitors, with Taty Castellanos spurning the opportunity by firing wide when through on goal, with Ivan Martin alongside in support, ready for a tap-in.
Xavi threw on defender Jordi Alba as a left winger as he looked for better delivery in the final third, and he made an instant impact with a dangerous cross and some neat interplay with Lewandowski.
Gazzaniga made another fine save to tip over Gavi’s header from a corner in stoppage time as Barcelona finally showed some urgency, but it was too late.
Lewandowski had a late backheel deflected wide as Girona clung on for the draw.
The Catalans took a meek step toward their title dream, extending their lead on Madrid by a point.

ABU DHABI: The preliminary rounds of the Jiu-Jitsu President’s Cup ended at Mubadala Arena in Zayed Sports City on Sunday with the under-18 teams of Al-Wahda, Baniyas and Al-Ain all securing their places in next weekend’s finals.

Al-Ain Club and Baniyas Club delivered strong performances to qualify for the men’s event, while Al-Wahda and Baniyas will go head to head in the women’s match.

Abdullah Al-Batran, who is on the board of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, said he was impressed with the high level of skill on show.

“The Jiu-Jitsu President’s Cup is a priority for the athletes as it enables them to engage with a group of experienced players who have a long history in the sport,” he said.

“Since its inception seven years ago, the championship has been a driving force behind the motivation of local clubs to invest in the development of the next generation of players and to continually improve their performance.”

Ramon Lemos, coach of the UAE national team, said the cup provided Emirati players with the perfect opportunity to enhance their skills.

“Several international events await us in the coming months and I commend the efforts of the UAEJJF in organizing strong tournaments during the holy month to maintain the players’ readiness, both physically and mentally,” he said.

“We are aware of how challenging it is to engage in sports activities while fasting, but the players always prove that they are capable.”

Ahmed Khamis Al-Junaibi, the administrator of Al-Wahda Club, said the team competed strongly in all age groups and had been preparing for the championships all season.

“We participate in all tournament categories with a large number of male and female players who have trained vigorously over the past few weeks to win the President's Cup title,” he said.

“In the adults division, Al-Wahda Club has 14 players participating. We have achieved the runner-up spot in the past two seasons but are determined to secure first place this time.”

Meanwhile, Emirati champion and national team member Khaled Al-Shehhi attributed his success to his father’s guidance.

“Our father taught us the fundamental principles of jiu-jitsu, including the importance of patience and perseverance to achieve our goals,” he said.

“Jiu-jitsu has become a way of life for me and my brothers, and we have discovered countless other benefits for ourselves.”