News Focus
- Alaves claim a surprise 1-0 victory over Barcelona at the Mendizorroza stadium
- Ibrahim Diabate scores the decisive goal during first-half injury time
- The result lifts Alaves to 15th place, one point clear of the drop zone
- Barcelona lose for the first time since securing the La Liga championship
- Hansi Flick rotates his squad heavily after clinching the title at the weekend
FC Barcelona have suffered their first defeat since winning the La Liga title. Deportivo Alavés claimed a vital 1-0 victory at home on Tuesday evening.
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick made several changes to his starting eleven. He handed opportunities to players who had seen little action in recent weeks. Wojciech Szczesny, Alejandro Balde, Marc Casado and Marc Bernal all started. Young defender Alvaro Cortes made his first appearance for the club in the centre of defence alongside Pau Cubarsi.
The match produced few clear chances during the opening 45 minutes. However, Alaves struck in the sole minute of added time before the break. Ibrahim Diabate, a 26-year-old striker on loan from Swedish side GAIS, found the net with a superb close-range volley.
After the interval, Alaves adopted a deep defensive approach. They successfully protected their lead throughout the second half. Barcelona managed only two attempts on goal. Both came from distance through Dani Olmo and Marc Bernal.
The three points lift Alaves to 15th position in the table. They now sit one point above the relegation zone with just two fixtures remaining. The Basque club travel to face already-relegated Real Oviedo next. A win there would guarantee their survival in the top flight.
Barcelona’s motivation was understandably low after securing the championship at the weekend. The defeat ends their hopes of reaching the 100-point mark this campaign. The Catalan giants will host Real Betis in their next match.