Winger Rafinha gave Barcelona victory for the second consecutive week after scoring in a 1-0 away win over Athletic Bilbao to seal their grip on the top spot in La Liga ahead of a potentially season-defining week when they host second-placed Real Madrid.
Rafinha repeated what he did against Valencia, when he scored the only goal last week, hitting the net in Bilbao with a powerful shot before the end of the first half, after a wonderful pass from midfielder Sergio Busquets to the Brazilian striker behind the defence.
Barcelona escaped from a difficult confrontation in which the hosts were the best in long periods, as they hit the crossbar twice, and Inaki Williams' goal was canceled in the last minutes due to the presence of a controversial handball during the building of the attack.
Barcelona has 65 points, nine points behind Real, who will be required to win the Camp Nou summit next Sunday to preserve the glimmer of hope to retain the title, while Bilbao ranks ninth with 33 points.
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