Zlatan Ibrahimovic's second-half goal gave Barcelona a 1-0 win at
Mallorca on Saturday and a provisional three-point lead over Real
Madrid atop the Spanish league.
Ibrahimovic's 15th league goal put Barcelona ahead after 63
minutes as the Swedish striker was perfectly placed inside the
penalty box to fire into the roof of the net after goalkeeper Dudu
Aouate had stopped Carles Puyol's stabbing try.
Barcelona warmed up for its midweek Champions League match at
Arsenal by putting the pressure on Madrid, which will need to win
the derby against Atletico Madrid on Sunday to keep pace with the
defending champions.
Lionel Messi, the league's leading scorer with 25 goals, was
held scoreless for the second straight game after coming on for
Andres Iniesta after 51 minutes.
Earlier, Malaga wasted a chance to open up some breathing
room above the drop zone as it surrendered a late penalty to draw
1-1 with Tenerife.
Valencia looked to strengthen its hold on third-place later
Saturday as it faces Zaragoza, which is in the thick of the
relegation fight.
Barcelona would have liked more goals ahead of Wednesday's
first-leg quarterfinal match at Arsenal, but the European champion
still goes to north London on the back of five straight wins.
But Mallorca was nearly ahead after two minutes as Aritz
Aduritz swerved to beat goalkeeper Victor Valdes with a curling
strike that came off the post to Chori Castro, whose follow-up from
the opposite side was saved by the scrambling Valdes.
Pedro Rodriguez and Jeffren Suarez - starting in place of
Messi and Xavi Hernandez - were involved in much of the play after
that as the Catalan club controlled possession. Aouate tipped
Gabriel Milito's angled header over the bar in the 16th, with
Barcelona driving forward in search of an opener after Pedro had a
goal waived away offside.
Although Barcelona looked poised to break through, Mallorca
nearly took advantage of its limited opportunities again, but
Valdes kept Borja Valero's precise free kick from squeezing in at
the post in the 42nd.
Pep Guardiola brought Messi on with Barcelona unable to break
the deadlock. But Mallorca, which had won 12 of its 13 games at the
Ono Estadi coming in, enjoyed a good run right afterward and
Guardiola responded by bringing on Xavi 10 minutes later.
Xavi's return from injury was marked by his corner kick that
eventually found Ibrahimovic, who scored for a third straight game
after a monthlong drought.
Ibrahimovic, full of confidence, used the top of his back to
direct a pass to Messi moments later but Aouate saved the Argentina
international's rising shot.
"I saw Leo behind me so I got it to him," Ibrahimovic said.
"Easy."
Messi uncharacteristically shot over from a clear chance in
front of goal in the 72nd.
Barcelona defender Daniel Alves was booked for delaying play
in the closing moments, leaving the Brazil striker out of next
weekend's game but available for the "clasico" at Madrid in two
weeks.
At La Rosaleda, the unmarked Antonio "Apono" Galdeano gave
Malaga the lead in the 66th when he was gifted a free header inside
the box.
But 18th-place Tenerife, which stayed six points behind
Malaga with the draw, equalized in the 84th when Patrick Jan
Mtiliga took Juan Francisco "Nino" Martinez down inside the area
after he had rounded Malaga goalkeeper Gustavo Munua. Mtiliga was
red carded and Alejandro Alfaro stepped up to score from the spot.
