Araujo Header Seals Barcelona Win in Albacete

Barcelona secured a 2-1 victory over Albacete at the Estadio Carlos Belmonte on
Sunday night, with Ronald Araujo’s second-half header proving decisive as the visitors
extended their long-standing dominance in the fixture.
Dani Olmo missed a clear chance early in the second half, but sustained pressure told
when Araujo, returning to the starting XI, powered home from a corner just before the
hour mark.
Albacete responded with urgency as substitute Jefte Betancor went close twice, missing
a free header and later seeing a goal ruled out as the hosts pushed late on. Their
persistence was rewarded when Javi Moreno pulled one back with a diving header to
set up a tense finish.
Late drama followed at both ends, with Ferran Torres seeing a tap-in ruled out for
offside before Fran Gamez had a last-gasp effort cleared off the line as Albacete threw
everything forward but ultimately fell short.
The result extended Barcelona’s head-to-head winning run against Albacete to seven
games, stretching back to November 1995.