Barcelona 2 - Tenerife 0

Barcelona: Bonano; Puyol, Christanval, Andersson, Sergi (Coco 57'); Rochemback, Xavi (Frank De Boer 73'), Cocu; Geovanni (Gabri 69'), Saviola; Kluivert. 4-3-2-1.
Tenerife: Sergio Aragoneses; Javi Venta, Lussenhoff, Pablo Paz (Fuertes 82'), Basavilbaso; Martí, Bino; Manel (Iván Ania 69'), Hugo Morales (Jaime 58'), Xisco; Marioni. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Barcelona: Saviola for Luis Enrique / Tenerife: No change.

Goals:
1-0. 34. Geovanni. Ran on to long pass from Xavi to shoot past keeper.
2-0. 93. Saviola. Took pass from Coco on left and cut in to round keeper.

Barcelona stayed just two points behind the leaders with a victory over Tenerife on a rainy Saturday night, but have yet to produce a really convincing performance in the league. Rexach kept to the squad who beat Fenerbahçe midweek, only changing Luis Enrique for Saviola, and although Overmars and Gerard were fit again he preferred to reserve them for next Tuesday's game at Bayer Leverkusen. The Catalans started strongly, with Rochemback going close twice before Geovanni ran on to a defence splitting pass by Xavi to get his first official goal for his new side. However Bonano had to be at his best to prevent the visitors from equalising through Hugo Morales and Marioni, and Puyol almost ran the ball in to his own net after the keeper saved again from Marioni.

Aragoneses had to punch clear another Rochemback free kick after the break and Kluivert slipped when presented with an easy chance. However Pepe Mel brought on his three new signings Jaime, Iván Ania and Fuertes, and Bonano was once again called on to save from an Ania free kick. Then with the home fans calling for the final whistle, Saviola picked up the ball on the wing, left Javi Venta for dead and cut in to score past the Tenerife keeper with the final kick of the game. The crowd went wild, more out of relief than anything, and went home drenched but happy with the three points. Tenerife drop to seventeenth, only out of the bottom three on goal average, but they at least showed some promise in this match.