Barcelona has one hand firmly on the La Liga title after winning 2-0 at Alaves on Tuesday, leaving it 12 points clear at the top of the table with four games to play.
With one eye on next week’s Champions League semifinal against Liverpool, Ernesto Valverde picked a side with Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba and Arthur among other regular starters, on the bench.
After a turgid first half, Barcelona stepped up a gear in the second and midfielder Carles Alena sent the Catalans ahead at Mendizorroza after 54 minutes.
Arturo Vidal and Sergio Roberto combined well, the latter threading a pass through to Alena which Luis Suarez cleverly stepped over, allowing the 21-year-old to coolly slot home.
Suarez added the second from the penalty spot after Tomas Pina’s handball was spotted by VAR, putting Barcelona in touching distance of its 26th league title.
Eriksen rescues Spurs
Christian Eriksen consolidated Tottenham’s place in the Premier League’s top four as his superb late strike sealed a hard-fought 1-0 win over struggling Brighton.
Mauricio Pochettino’s third-placed side dominated from start to finish at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but a combination of brave Brighton defending and poor finishing kept the match in the balance until the 88th minute.
Eriksen finally ended Brighton’s stubborn resistance with a sensational long-range drive that lifted Tottenham three points clear of fourth-placed Chelsea and four ahead of Arsenal in fifth.
The results:
Premier League: Tottenham 1 (Eriksen 88) bt Brighton 0; Watford 1 (Gray 90) drew with Southampton 1 (Long 1).
La Liga: Huesca 2 (Gallego 54, Avila 57) bt Eibar 0; Real Valladolid 1 (Herrero 67) bt Girona 0; Alaves 0 lost to Barcelona 2 (Alena 54, Suarez 60-pen).