Not even conceding three penalty kicks was sufficient to cease Barcelona’s spectacular run.
Barcelona rallied to a 3-2 win in opposition to second-to-last Levante within the Spanish league on Sunday, with substitute Luuk de Jong scoring in stoppage time after the Catalan membership had conceded three penalties within the second half.
The win prolonged Barcelona’s unbeaten run to fifteen matches in all competitions and moved the workforce again into second place within the league after it was leapfrogged by Sevilla on Saturday.
Barcelona is 12 factors behind chief Real Madrid with a sport in hand. Madrid beat Getafe 2-0 on Saturday.
“It will be hard to contend for the title because Madrid isn’t making many mistakes,” Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez stated. “We both have difficult matches ahead, but if Madrid ends up losing some points maybe we can hope of achieving something bigger.”
Barcelona’s Ferran Torres, proper, jumps for the ball with Levante’s Jorge Miramon, heart, throughout a Spanish La Liga match between Levante and Barcelona on the Ciutat de Valencia stadium in Valencia, Spain, Sunday, April 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
Barcelona’s rally started after Xavi put Pedri Gonzalez into the sport early within the second half with the workforce a aim down. The 19-year-old playmaker was rested forward of Barcelona’s return leg in opposition to Eintracht Frankfurt within the quarterfinals of the Europa League on Thursday. Barcelona and Eintracht drew the primary leg 1-1 in Germany final week.
Jose Luis Morales put Levante forward by changing a penalty kick within the 52nd after a foul by Dani Alves. The second penalty for the hosts got here 4 minutes later after a handball by Barcelona defender Eric Garcia, with Roger Marti lacking from the spot.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang equalized for Barcelona with a header off a cross by Ousmane Dembele within the 59th, and Pedri scored the go-ahead aim from inside the world within the 63rd.
Levante evened the match after one other penalty within the 83rd after a foul by Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet, with Gonzalo Melero changing his shot from the spot earlier than De Jong acquired the late winner after a well-placed cross by Jordi Alba.
Barcelona’s Eric Garcia, proper, vies for the ball with Levante’s Roger Marti throughout a Spanish La Liga match between Levante and Barcelona on the Ciutat de Valencia stadium in Valencia, Spain, Sunday, April 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
Barcelona, which had not beforehand conceded a penalty within the league this season, hasn’t misplaced since enjoying Athletic Bilbao within the spherical of 16 of the Copa del Rey in January.
Levante stayed tied on factors with last-place Alaves. It is seven factors from security.
SOCIEDAD IN CONTENTION
Real Sociedad continued its push for a Champions League spot with a 2-1 win at Elche.
Alexander Sorloth and Robin Le Normand scored lower than 10 minutes aside within the first half to assist Sociedad get inside three factors of fourth-place Atletico Madrid with seven rounds to go.
It was the third win within the final 4 matches for sixth-place Sociedad, which sits two factors behind Real Betis in fifth.
Elche, which opened the scoring with Guido Carrillo within the third minute, stayed in fifteenth place, 4 factors above the relegation zone. It has misplaced three in a row.
Sorloth scored within the thirty first and Le Normand within the thirty ninth, each after assists from veteran David Silva.
Sociedad ahead Alexander Isak scored from a penalty kick but it surely was disallowed as he faked his shot to idiot the goalkeeper earlier than sending the ball into the web.
OTHER RESULTS
China ahead Wu Lei scored within the 89th for his first aim of the season as Espanyol beat Celta Vigo 1-0 at house in a match between groups close to the center of the desk.
Earlier, Tenth-place Osasuna scored in stoppage time with a aim from Ante Budimir to beat Alaves 1-0. It was the fourth loss in a row for Alaves with coach Julio Velazquez making his debut.
