Madrid (AFP)
Unsympathetic, without ideas, FC Barcelona left a chance for its direct competitors to steal its leading position, bowing sadly to Levante (3-1) Saturday as part of the 12th day of La Liga.
Roller coaster: Four days after his brilliant 5-1 win against Valladolid, Barça, who was completely outmatched in the second half, found himself at the bottom of the chasm in Valencia, and also had to compose without Luis Suarez, grimly out before the pause (40th), visibly touched on the right calf.
A result for the least disturbing, three days before the reception of Slavia Prague in the Champions League (Tuesday at 18:55).
As a clue, it's Levante who is the best in the game. The Valencians could even open the score without the vigilance of Clement Lenglet (17th, 18th).
Antoine Griezmann and Nelson Semedo, on the left, tried somehow to find the flaw in the defense of Levante, grouped very low.
The duo will be at the origin of the first goal: in the 36th, Griezmann finds Semedo in the depth, and the Portuguese is mowed in the surface by Miramon. Lionel Messi will transform the penalty (1-0). This is the 5th ranked match where the Argentinean scored a goal with Barça, since his return from injury, a month ago.
At the break, Barcelona is far from the party: the gap does not allow, but especially, we fear for Luis Suarez, who had to give up his place by grimacing to Carles Perez before the break (40), visibly touched at right calf.
It does not take much for Barcelona to dive at this time. Finally, the awakening of the premises will be fatal: the return of the locker room, Levante takes advantage of the blunders Gerard Piqué to equalize first, by Campaña (1-1, 61st), then take two goals in advance, thanks to Mayoral (2 -1, 63e) and Radoja (3-1, 67e).
On a lucky move, Messi reduced the gap to 74th, but his goal was canceled for an offside position.
Three goals in 10 minutes, and Levante wins a prestigious victory against a sad Barça, whose leading position is now threatened according to the outcome of the matches Sevilla FC - Atlético Madrid (18H30 local), and Real Madrid - Real Betis (21H00 local), later in the evening.
Earlier in the afternoon, in the other confrontation between Barcelona and Valencian clubs, Valencia CF won 2-1 at Espanyol Barcelona, thanks to two goals from Parejo (69th, sp) and Gomez (80), despite the opening of the penalty on Roca penalty (31), following a hand in the surface of Geoffrey Kondogbia.
© 2019 AFP