Toiling Barca ends winless run but fails to silence jeers

MADRID — It was yet another lackluster performance by Barcelona, drawing jeers from the home fans upset with the team's struggles against the only remaining winless team in the Spanish league.

Some of the jeers came even after Barcelona found a way to beat last-place Almeria 3-2 on Wednesday, a much-needed hard-fought victory that ended a three-game winless streak and moved the Catalan club back to third place.

"We understand why the fans aren't too happy, we aren't either," Barcelona midfielder Sergi Roberto said. "But we have to be more united than ever now. We need the fans behind us. Hopefully we will begin next year on the right foot."

Roberto scored twice and Raphinha once for Barcelona, which moved three points ahead of fourth-place Atletico Madrid. The Catalan club trails Real Madrid by four points and leader Girona by six points. Madrid was due to visit Alaves on Thursday, with Girona at Real Betis.

Almeria is the only team yet to win a Spanish league match this season. The Saudi-owned club hasn't won in 21 straight league games, going back to last season.

Barcelona struggled to impose itself against its minnow opponent and needed an 83rd-minute winner by Roberto to secure the home victory after twice relinquishing a lead at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium in Montjuic.

Raphinha opened the scoring in the 33rd and Leo Baptistao equalized in the 41st. In the second half, Roberto put the host ahead again in the 60th before Edgar Gonzalez evened the match in the 71st after Barcelona goalkeeper Inaki Pena collided with defender Ronald Araujo while going for a ball inside the area.

Pena, who started in place of the injured Marc-Andre ter Stegen, made a tough save in the 86th to help Barcelona preserve the lead.

"We suffered more than we expected and more than we deserved," Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez said. "We had 30 shots on goal and gifted two goals. The first half was unacceptable, but the second was better. It's been like this for a month and a half or two."

Xavi's team has conceded 21 goals in 18 matches this season, one more than it allowed in all 38 games last term.

Barcelona was coming off a 1-1 draw at Valencia and a 4-2 loss to Girona at home. It also lost 3-2 to Belgian side Royal Antwerp to close out its group-stage campaign in the Champions League, although it advanced to the knockout round for the first time after two consecutive early eliminations.

Barcelona has won all of its eight home matches against Almeria in the league, but had lost its last game against the southern Spanish club in February. Barca had been unbeaten in its previous 13 matches against Almeria.

Almeria had drawn two of its last three league matches — 0-0 against Real Betis and 0-0 at Mallorca. It stayed in last place with five points — nine points from safety.

Almeria's lone win in 20 matches this season was against third-division club Talavera in the first round of the Copa del Rey. It was eventually eliminated by fourth-division team Barbastro in the second round.

Barcelona played with a depleted squad, with the suspended Frenkie de Jong and the injured Pedri the most notable absentees. Roberto started as the defensive midfielder.

Fifth-place Athletic Bilbao defeated ninth-place Las Palmas 1-0 at home with Unai Gomez scoring the winner four minutes into stoppage time.

Villarreal moved further away from the relegation zone by defeating Celta Vigo 3-2 to end a three-match winless run in the league. Celta, which has only one win in its last 14 league games, stayed in 18th place, inside the relegation zone. Villarreal was 13th.

Agencies via Xinhua