Barcelona proceeded towards the 22nd La Liga title as a much-changed side. They seemed to be too strong for the struggling Real Zaragoza in a 3-0 victory at La Romareda.
Thiago Alcantara played with the visitors to a clean finish up to 20 minutes. The Spanish international then along with Cristian Tello scored 2-0 goal just before the break.
Tello exhibited great talent and patient to score his second goal of the evening seven minutes after the break. Notably, there was even a rare clean sheet for Barca in spite of the absence of Gerard Pique at the back.
Tito Vilanova applied six changes from the side which commenced Champions League’s clash with Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday. Amazingly, Xavi began a league game for the first time since early February.
Tello who first came into the side, was highly expected to make an impression as he curled just over after hardly a minute and then blasted another shot off target from Alexis Sanchez's clever cut-back after 15 minutes.
Zaragoza had plunged into the relegation zone due to Deportivo La Coruna's victory on Saturday. Their deficiency of confidence of unable to win a game this year was in evidence as they were unable to penetrate the Barca defence throughout the first-half.
The first goal arrived miraculously from one of the few moments when Zaragoza might have been successfully put the visitor’s defence under pressure, but in contrary, Barca broke upfield from a home corner and a clear exchange of passes between Thiago and Sanchez allowed the midfielder to kick home just his second goal of the season.
Thiago displayed his talent again as Barca increased their advantage by two folds six minutes before the break. During this time, he and Tello partnered to allow the winger to flash through on goal and he exhibited great serenity to slot past Roberto Gago.
Sanchez could even have had a third before the break. However for a good reaction save by the Zaragoza keeper and the Chilean's luck was out too at the commencement of the second period as this time, he knocked Gago only to view the ball return off the bar.
It didn't take much long for the third Barca goal to arrive though as Tello displayed off his immense speed once more to dart past Glenn Loovens and slip into the far corner. To their credit Zaragoza continued and Paco Montanes compelled Victor Valdes into his first save of the day before the last 28 minutes.
