La Liga leaders Barcelona tumbled to an embarrassing 1-0 defeat at Almeria on Sunday, failing to capitalise on Real Madrid’s derby draw with Atletico to increase their benefit.
El Bilal Toure’s high-quality first half strike break up the groups and earned Almeria their first ever victory over Barca, inflicting solely the second defeat of the league marketing campaign on the Catalans.
Xavi Hernandez’s aspect nonetheless have a seven-point lead over champions Madrid, however their morale took an additional blow following their midweek Europa League exit in opposition to Manchester United.
Barca face Madrid in a Clasico Copa del Rey semi-final first leg on Thursday on the Santiago Bernabeu, with their vulnerabilities beginning to present.
Victory would have stretched their benefit in the title race to double figures, as they bid to win La Liga for the primary time since 2019.
Madrid beat Barcelona in the league in October in their first defeat and Almeria ended Barca’s subsequent 13-game unbeaten league run.
“I’m very indignant as a result of I feel we performed our worst recreation of the season,” Xavi told Movistar.
“Above all in the first half, we couldn’t move the ball around, we lacked intensity, speed, on a day where we couldn’t mess up.
“We did not show the passion (we needed) to win the game. In the second half, yes, but they defended well.”
Xavi, already with out injured trio Pedri, Ousmane Dembele and Ansu Fati, took a threat and rotated closely and his group paid the value.
The lowly hosts, beginning the sport nineteenth with only one victory in their prior eight league video games, had been on prime and went forward by way of Toure’s emphatic end.
The Mali worldwide cushioned a protracted ball into striker Luis Suarez’s path, earlier than spinning and breaking ahead at tempo.
Suarez lofted a cross over Andreas Christensen and Toure ran on to it, lashing an effort previous Marc-Andre ter Stegen and in off the crossbar.
It was solely the eighth league objective Barcelona have conceded this season, stopping Ter Stegen including to his spectacular tally of 17 clear sheets.
‘We’ll calm ourselves’
The hosts stored La Liga prime scorer Robert Lewandowski quiet on the different finish, unable to bother Almeria goalkeeper Fernando Martinez.
Defender Araujo, thrown into assault by Xavi in desperation, directed a header inches extensive of the far publish however that was as shut as Barcelona got here.
Ter Stegen made an excellent save to disclaim Adrian Embarba on the counter and Almeria defended bravely to see out an historic victory.
The goalkeeper mentioned Barcelona would get well forward of the cup conflict in opposition to Madrid.
“It’s a defeat, it all the time hurts, it by no means arrives at an excellent second, however we’ll calm ourselves,” said Ter Stegen.
“It’s important to charge our batteries for Thursday. We’re looking forward and we will achieve what we want to.”
Almeria rose to fifteenth, two factors clear of the relegation zone.
“The greatest group in the league got here to us, they’re first, and we had been succesful of blocking them, of taking benefit of the possibility we had,” Rubi told Movistar.
Elsewhere Jorge Sampaoli’s Sevilla twice came from behind but fell to a 3-2 home defeat by Osasuna, leaving them 14th and two points above the relegation zone.
David Garcia headed the visitors in front in the first half as they dominated, but Nemanja Gudelj smashed Sevilla back level with a stunning long range effort.
Fernando’s unfortunate own goal put Osasuna back ahead, but Morocco striker Youssef En Nesyri levelled with a fine finish.
A thrilling clash was settled when on loan Barcelona winger Ez Abde produced a fine solo goal with five minutes remaining, whipping his finish across Yassine Bounou and into the far corner.
Osasuna rose to seventh and have a Copa del Rey semi-final in opposition to Athletic Bilbao to sit up for on Wednesday.
Girona earned an exciting 3-2 win at Athletic Bilbao to climb into mid-table, inspired by the electric Aleix Garcia, who opened the scoring.
Oscar de Marcos and Mikel Vesga own goals extended Girona’s lead, while Athletic hit back through Yuri Berchiche and Raul Garcia grabbed another late on, but could not find an equaliser.
Young Celta Vigo star Gabri Veiga struck twice and set up another for Haris Seferovic in a 3-0 win over Real Valladolid.
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