Barcelona missed out on seizing the opportunity presented by other La Liga outcomes as they settled for a goalless draw against Athletic Bilbao, keeping them in third place in the league standings.
Athletic Bilbao adopted a defensive stance right from the start, showcasing a well-organized backline and aiming for counter-attacks.
Barcelona came closest to scoring when Joao Cancelo attempted a 40-yard strike, only for Yeray Alvarez to clear it off the line.
Despite Girona’s loss against Mallorca, a victory for Barcelona would have propelled them to second place in the standings.
Athletic’s defensive tactics largely thwarted Barcelona’s attacking moves, although they struggled to create significant threats on the counter.
Cancelo nearly broke the deadlock midway through the first half, striking Unai Simon’s clearance from just inside the hosts’ half, but Simon managed to make a crucial save, with Alvarez clearing the ball off the line.
The game maintained a similar pattern in the second half, with both teams building up play but faltering in the final third.
With the Champions League last-16 second leg against Napoli scheduled for March 12, Barcelona manager Xavi would have been concerned by injuries to Frenkie de Jong and Pedri, the latter visibly upset as he left the field.
Real Madrid’s draw against Valencia had given Barcelona hope of closing the gap at the top to just six points.
However, the draw does not benefit either team significantly, as Barcelona remains in third place, eight points behind Real Madrid. Meanwhile, Athletic Bilbao sits in fifth place, trailing Atletico Madrid by five points, after Atletico secured a 2-1 win against Real Betis earlier in the day.