Barcelona lose 1-0 at Alavés

Ibrahim Diabaté scored in first-half stoppage time on Wednesday, May 13, to give Deportivo Alavés a 1-0 home win over Barcelona at Mendizorroza. The loss came three days after Barcelona had secured the La Liga title and stopped the champions’ push for a 100-point season. It also ended two long league runs that Barcelona had carried into the trip to Vitoria-Gasteiz: 11 straight wins and 55 consecutive matches with at least one goal, according to the club. Alavés, meanwhile, climbed out of the relegation zone with two rounds left, Reuters reported. ### How did the only goal happen? Diabaté scored at 45+1 minutes after Barcelona failed to clear a corner, Reuters reported. Antonio Blanco headed the ball back toward the six-yard box and the Alavés forward finished from close range for the only goal of the match. (thestar.com.my) The 1-0 score held through the second half as Barcelona could not find an equalizer. Football España reported that Hansi Flick’s side managed only two shots on goal after the break, both from distance, as Alavés protected the lead deep in their own half. ### Which Barcelona streaks ended in Vitoria-Gasteiz? (thestar.com.my) Barcelona said the defeat ended an 11-match La Liga winning streak and a 55-match run of scoring in league play. The club said the scoring streak had moved past runs recorded under Ernesto Valverde and Juan José Nogués before ending at Alavés. (football-espana.net) The same loss also closed off Barcelona’s chance to finish on 100 points. La Liga’s official club schedule page listed Barcelona on 91 points after 36 matches, leaving only two games remaining. ### Why did the result matter more to Alavés? Alavés moved to 15th place with 40 points from 36 games after the win, Reuters reported. (fcbarcelona.com) With only two rounds left and several clubs clustered near the bottom of the table, the three points gave the Basque side immediate breathing room in the relegation fight. Reuters said only five points separated eighth-placed Real Sociedad from 19th-placed Girona after Wednesday’s results, underlining how compressed the lower half of the table had become. That context made the result one of the more consequential outcomes of the round for teams chasing safety. (thestar.com.my) ### Who featured for Barcelona after the title was already won? Álvaro Cortés made his La Liga debut in central defense for Barcelona, according to Football España. The report said Flick rotated heavily after the title-clinching win earlier in the week, also bringing in Wojciech Szczęsny, Alejandro Balde, Marc Casadó and Marc Bernal. (thestar.com.my) Barcelona’s own match reaction focused on the team result but noted that the defeat came after the title had already been secured. The club said Flick had been one win away from matching a 12-game league winning streak previously recorded under Luis Enrique. ### What comes next for both clubs? (football-espana.net) Barcelona’s official schedule lists a home match against Real Betis on Sunday, May 17, at 21:15 peninsular Spain time, followed by a final-day trip to Valencia on Saturday, May 23. Alavés are next away to Real Oviedo on Sunday, May 17, before closing the season at home to Rayo Vallecano, according to fixture listings indexed by La Liga and match schedule services. (fcbarcelona.com) With Barcelona already champions and Alavés still chasing survival, those final two dates will shape the last week of each club’s league season. (laliga.com) (fcbarcelona.com)