Barca go six points clear

Barcelona, Jan. 30: Stymied in attack and without its top two scorers, Barcelona turned to Pedri to ensure they reach the Spanish league midway point ahead of Real Madrid in the title chase.

Pedri marked his 100th Barcelona appearance at the ripe age of 20 by scoring as a substitute to squeeze past Girona 1-0 on Saturday. The Spain midfielder, who has become a pillar of the post-Lionel Messi rebuild under Xavi, became the second youngest player in club history to reach the century mark in games played.

Girona held the league front-runner in check until Pedri's fellow substitute, Jordi Alba, found him with a low cross at close range in the 61st. Barcelona moved six points clear of Real Madrid before the titleholder hosted third-placed Real Sociedad on Sunday.

Pedri started on the bench as Xavi rotated his lineup ahead of a week with games against Real Betis and Sevilla. He replaced Ousmane Dembélé in the 25th after the forward felt something go awry following a sprint. He walked off the field and watched the rest of the game from the stands.

Barcelona said Dembélé injured a muscle in his left thigh. It did not give an estimate on how long he will be sidelined. Dembélé, who suffered a series of injuries in his first seasons with Barcelona, has avoided serious injury since returning from a knee issue in November 2021.

"It is too bad because he is one of our most decisive players," Xavi said about his speedy winger. Dembélé has eight goals in this campaign and is Barcelona's best one-on-one attacker in open space. Borja Iglesias converted an 86th-minute penalty to snatch a 1-0 win at Getafe and end a three-game losing streak across all competitions for sixth-placed Real Betis.

Youssef En-Nesyri scored twice to lead Sevilla to a 3-0 win over last-place Elche, which played with 10 men after Pedro Bigas was sent off near the end of the first half. Cadiz also beat Mallorca 2-0 to move out from the relegation zone. (AP)