Alavés end Barcelona's bid to reach 10 with 1-0 win

Deportivo Alavés ended Barcelona’s pursuit of a 100-point LaLiga season with a 1-0 home win in Vitoria-Gasteiz on Wednesday, handing the newly crowned champions a defeat four days after they sealed the title. Ibrahim Diabaté scored in first-half stoppage time at Mendizorroza, where Alavés took three points that lifted them out of the relegation zone. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick rotated heavily, making eight changes to his starting lineup. The game also brought a first-team debut for defender Álvaro Cortés as Barcelona closed out a title race they had already won. ### How did Alavés settle the match? Ibrahim Diabaté scored in the 45th minute plus one, finishing a move created by Antonio Blanco to give Alavés the lead before halftime. That goal proved decisive in a match where Barcelona struggled to create clear chances with a reshuffled side. Mendizorroza hosted a game with clear stakes for the home side, and Alavés protected the advantage through the second half as Barcelona made changes after the break. (straitstimes.com) Marcus Rashford was booked early in the second half, and Flick sent on Pedri, Ferran Torres and Xavi Espart in the 62nd minute in an attempt to change the game. (globalsportsarchive.com) ### Why did Barcelona look so different from the title-winning side? Hansi Flick made eight changes to the Barcelona lineup after the club clinched the title against Real Madrid on Sunday, according to Reuters and match reports published after the game. The rotation left several regular starters out and gave minutes to fringe players and younger options. (globalsportsarchive.com) Álvaro Cortés made his first-team debut for Barcelona in the defeat, one of the notable personnel decisions in a match that came with the championship already secured. Reuters reported that Flick said after the game he was pleased with the debutant’s performance despite the result. (straitstimes.com) ### What did the result change in the standings? Barcelona remained on 91 points after 36 matches, which ended any chance of reaching the 100-point mark this season. LaLiga’s official schedule page for Barcelona listed the club first in the table before the final two matchdays, with Real Madrid second. Alavés moved to 40 points and climbed out of the relegation zone after 36 matches, according to the post-match standings published by Global Sports Archive. (straitstimes.com) Reuters described the battle at the bottom of the table as increasingly tight, with Sevilla and Espanyol also posting important wins the same night. (laliga.com) ### How unusual was the defeat for Barcelona? El País reported that Barcelona had been unbeaten in the league since February before losing in Vitoria-Gasteiz. The defeat came in the club’s first match since winning a second straight league title, according to the Associated Press. The 1-0 scoreline also underlined how little margin Alavés needed against a side that had already achieved its main objective. (globalsportsarchive.com) Reuters and other match reports said Barcelona needed to win their final three league games to have any chance of finishing on 100 points. ### What comes next for both clubs? (elpais.com) FC Barcelona’s official schedule lists a home match against Real Betis on May 17 at 21:15 Spain time, followed by a final-day trip to Valencia on May 23. Those are Barcelona’s last two league games of the season. Deportivo Alavés’ official calendar showed the Barcelona match as part of Matchday 36 at Mendizorroza, leaving two rounds for the club to secure survival. (straitstimes.com) The relegation fight remains live going into those final fixtures, with Alavés, Elche, Mallorca, Levante and Girona separated by narrow margins in the lower half of the table. (deportivoalaves.com) (fcbarcelona.com)