FC Barcelona B moves up to 3rd place with 68 points after beating Salamanca 5-1 in what was Luis Enrique’s last home game in charge of the reserve side. A hat trick from Jonathan Soriano, along with strikes from Benja and Nolito provided the ‘manita’ of goals for the blaugrana in the penultimate game of the season. More details of the match are below. Enjoy!

Line-up:
Jordi Masip
Carles Planas (Víctor Vázquez, 65′)
Oriol Romeu
Marc Bartra
Abraham Minero
Ilie Sánchez (Jose Palau, 76′)
Edu Oriol
Jonathan Dos Santos
Benja Martinez
Saúl Berjón (Nolito, 65′)
Jonathan Soriano

Bench: Ruben Miño, Jose Palau, Víctor Vázquez, Cristian Tello, and Nolito

Salamanca: Biel, Moratón, Yuste, Márquez, Edu (Perico, 67′), Sito, Juanjo (Galindo, 87′), Goikoetxea, Toti, Quique López, Juanpe

Goals:
1-0, Benja Martinez (37′)
2-0, Jonathan Soriano (55′)
2-1, Edu Bedia (62′)
3-1, Jonathan Soriano (83′)
4-1, Nolito (86′)
5-1, Jonathan Soriano (89′)

Cards for Barça: Marc Bartra (65′)

Referee: Carlos del Cerro Grande

Match Report (translated from Barça’s official site):

In the last game for Luis Enrique at the Mini Estadi, Barça B scored five goals and close the season at home by adding three more points, putting them in third place (5-1).

Barça B has come out on the pitch ready for a good finish to the season in their final game at the Mini. Luis Enrique’s squad gave their all from the beginning and had numerous chances to reach the half with the lead. Abraham, Bartra and Dos Santos all had chances on goal, but a lack of accuracy, added to the good performance of Salamanca goalkeeper Biel Ribas, delayed the blaugrana goal from happening sooner.

In any case, after 37 minutes, Benja, who also scored in Girona last week, opened the scoring for Barça with a header that drew applause from the fans in the stadium.

After the break, Salamanca came out willing to give all they could, after learning about the situation during the half that would mathematically relegate the team to Spain’s Segunda B division.

Baltasar Sánchez’s men had two clear chances in only 4 minutes, but it was Jonathan Soriano who managed to send the ball into the back of Ribas’ goal. The ‘pichichi’ of the division demonstrated the skills that have made him the top scorer in the league and he did not waste his chance to make it 2-0.

Salamanca tried to resist the fall to the third tier of Spanish football and Edu Bedia gave his team and fans some encouragement with the visitors’ first and only goal. Biel Ribas kept his team alive until Soriano sentenced the game late in the match, 3-1. With only minutes remaining, Nolito, who had come on for Saul, joined in the scoring fiesta with the fourth goal of the afternoon. A few seconds before the final whistle, with Salamanca’s players disconsolate, Soriano secured his hat trick and the team’s ‘manita’.

The players made an honorary tunnel for Luis Enrique at the end of the match and had a special send-off for Nolito and Vázquez. In the post-match press conference, ‘Lucho’ thanked Barça for “three magnificent years, [this] has been a nice day” and added that Roma “is a good option, I have spoken with them but they are not the only possibility I have.”

Please note: No highlights could be found for this match. If you have any, please share the link in the comments and they will be added to the post.

Recent Results:

Matchday 38: Ponferradina 2-2 FC Barcelona B

Matchday 39: FC Barcelona B 3-5 Las Palmas

Matchday 40: Girona 0-2 FC Barcelona B

Next and final match of the season: Rayo Vallecano vs FC Barcelona B – date not yet set (Matchday 42)