Two more games are left in the battle for promotion to the Second Division A. Barça Atlètic’s final opponent is a team they know well, not only a local rival but one they have already encountered twice this season in the league. The two Barcelona-based teams will face off beginning this Saturday in the Miniestadi. The following is a translation of FC Barcelona’s official report on the pairing. The original is here.

Sant Andreu, the last hurdle for promotion

Barça’s second team will play for promotion to the Second Division A , beginning with the first leg this weekend at the Miniestadi, with the return leg seven days later on the field of Sant Andreu.

The teams of coaches Natxo González and Luis Enrique will face off once again in this last elimination round for promotion. In the regular season, Barça Atlètic and Sant Andreu met in two games, which were much less decisive than the two games that will take place over the next two weeks.    

Even precendents

In the Narcis Sala stadium, Luis Enrique’s team lost by 3 goals to 2 in a very even and balanced encounter. The best part of that game for the blaugrana were the two goals by the Nigerian Elvis, who was Barça Atlètic’s best individual performer on that day.

In the Miniestadi and with a bigger crowd than usual, Barça defeated Natxo González’s team by 2 goals to one, a very tight score that does not reflect the superiority of Luis Enrique’s lads in that match.

A Catalan team will rise

What is assured by this encounter is that a Catalan team will earn promotion to the Second Division A, it just remains to be seen whether it will be Barça Atlètic or Sant Andreu. Los andresenses had their first chance to go up in the first round against Ponferradina (division champions play-offs), but the rise was decided by the lottery of penalties. After losing at home (0-1), Natxo González’s men won away in Galicia (0-1), but in the shoot-out, Pontferradina emerged victorious after eighteen penalties.

In the second round, Sant Andreu had an easier time overcoming Universidad de Las Palmas. After winning 0-2 away, at home, the Barcelona-based side managed only a 2-2 tie, though at no time did their advancement to the final round appear threatened. 

A very strong rival

For Joan Barbarà, a member of the blaugrana‘s coaching staff, the consistency and reliability of los andresenses is of particular emphasis, one of the keys that make Sant Andreu a very solid team: “They are a serious and very solid group, we know them well, they don’t make life complicated for themselves when they defend [simple, solid defending] and when they have the ball in their opponent’s half they know how to combine well.”