Madrid, May 14 (IANS) Already-crowned La Liga champion FC Barcelona lost 1-0 away to Deportivo Alaves.
Three days after securing the title, Barcelona appeared to suffer the effects of its celebrations on Sunday and Monday, producing a performance well below its usual level.
The only goal of the match came from Ibrahim Diabate in the final play of the first half. The Alavés striker capitalized on a layoff inside the area to beat goalkeeper Szczesny with a low shot and score his first goal at Mendizorrotza.
The win lifted Alaves out of the bottom three and kept its survival hopes alive.
Desperate for points to move clear of the relegation zone, the hosts gradually grew into the game. Szczesny was called into action more and more before finally being beaten with almost the last kick of the first half.
Following a corner, Ibrahim Diabate got the better of Marc Bernal and fired an unstoppable volley past the Polish goalkeeper.
Diabate nearly added a second early in the second half, but Szczesny reacted well to deny the Ivorian’s header. For long stretches, the home side seemed torn between protecting their slender lead and pushing for another goal, though they were generally more effective at the former.
In the closing stages, Alaves defended deep around their own penalty area, doing everything possible to disrupt Barca’s passing rhythm and run down the clock. There were few clear chances, little flowing football, and surprisingly little stoppage time either.
When the final whistle sounded, Alaves celebrated a vital victory in their fight for survival. Barca had already done their celebrating earlier in the week, but hopes of a 100-point league campaign were now over.
Elsewhere, Sevilla won 3-2 away to Villarreal, moving into 10th place in the standings.
Villarreal, which has already secured a place in next season’s UEFA Champions League, raced into a 2-0 lead through goals from Gerard Moreno and Georges Mikautadze, but Oso and Kike Salas made it 2-2 before the break. Akor Adams continued his excellent recent form with a 72nd-minute winner.
–IANS
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