Image Source : AP Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, middle, controls the ball in the course of the Spanish La Liga soccer match between FC Barcelona and Cadiz on the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 21
Cádiz snatched a late penalty to attract 1-1 at Camp Nou and deal Barcelona an sudden setback in its bid for the Spanish league title on Sunday.
Five days after being crushed 4-1 by Paris Saint-Germain within the Champions League, Ronald Koeman’s facet noticed two factors slip away when substitute Álex Fernández transformed an 88th-minute penalty conceded by Clement Lenglet.
Lionel Messi appeared to place Barcelona on its solution to a straightforward win in his membership report 506th league look in Spain. But after Messi scored from the penalty spot within the thirty second minute, Barcelona was unable to complete off many scoring probabilities.
The draw leaves Barcelona in third place at eight factors behind chief Atlético Madrid, which misplaced 2-0 to Levante on Saturday. Real Madrid was the most important beneficiary of the spherical, transferring three factors behind Atlético after successful 1-0 at Valladolid additionally on Saturday. Madrid has performed yet another match than Atlético and Barcelona.
“These are two hard blows this week,” Barcelona defender Gerard Pique stated after the slip to Cádiz on the heels of tolerating a hat trick by PSG star Kylian Mbappe on Tuesday within the first leg of their Champions League round-of-16 match.
“There is a solution to go within the league, however we didn’t depend on this. If we are able to get on a superb run of play and get good outcomes, we are able to nonetheless have a shot. It goes to be tough,¨ Pique stated.
Cádiz, which got here up from the second division this season, upset Barcelona 2-1 in early December when Koeman’s facet was nonetheless discovering its method below the brand new coach. Since then, Barcelona has not misplaced within the league and arrived on the sport on a seven-game successful streak within the league.
Barcelona had 80% of possession and out-shot Cádiz 20-3. But a careless foul by Lenglet — when he kicked Rubén Sobrino within the leg whereas making an attempt to clear a ball on the sting of the world — ruined a robust efficiency that solely lacked a second objective.
“I am very, very disappointed, even more than on Tuesday,” Koeman stated. “We were on a good run in the league, and we had a game at home with the chance to cut into the lead of those ahead of us. It is a game that this team, with its talent, has to win.”
Pedri González arrange Messi’s objective when he was fouled by Isaac Carcelén. Messi rolled his kick to the left facet of the online after goalkeeper Jeremías Ledesma had already given his intentions away.
Cádiz central defender Fali tracked Messi all match lengthy and did effectively to restrict his impression. A well timed contact early within the sport deflected Messi’s shot broad after Sergio Busquets had performed him clear. Ledesma additionally did effectively to get low and poke away a go by Messi that was destined for Antoine Griezmann to push in for a second objective.
It then fell to Fernández, the brother of Real Madrid defender Nacho Fernández, to seize Cádiz´s first level at Camp Nou since 1978.
¨Today this was all about Cádiz, but when I may also help my brother out then it’s all the higher,¨ Fernández stated.
Xavi Hernández had held the mark of 505 league appearances for Barcelona.
ISAK HAT TRICK
Aleksander Isak scored three targets to steer Real Sociedad to a 4-0 rout of Alavés and bounce again from its 4-0 loss to Manchester United within the Europa League.
David Silva assisted on Isak’s second objective and once more for Portu to spherical off the victory with a fourth objective.
Isak leads Sociedad with 12 league targets this season. It was his second profession hat trick.
Later Sunday, Villarreal visits Athletic Bilbao whereas Granada is at Huesca.
