Levante 3-3 Barcelona: Title dreams smashed in Valencia
Not like this. Barca lost a game they should have won and are done and dusted
It’s not over but it is, really. The defence was not good enough, Koeman’s changes didn’t work and the roof caved in, as it has before, at Levante.
Barcelona were two goals up and led Levante twice but it was all pulled back and they ended up drawing a game they needed to win.
They did not overtake Atletico at the top, with Diego Simeone’s side playing Real Sociedad on Wednesday and Madrid hosting Granada on Thursday.
Pedri could have opened the scoring but Aitor Fernandez denied him from Frenkie de Jong’s cut-back, after he already fired wide early on.
Lionel Messi showed him the way to go with a fine strike to send Barcelona ahead, after Jordi Alba’s deflected cross fell into his path.
Pedri was then on target for the second, after Ousmane Dembele’s fine sprint down the right. The French winger was being used in the usual Sergino Dest spot, as a wing back, but it didn’t stop him getting forward.
Ronald Koeman brought on Sergi Roberto at half-time for Ronald Araujo, with the Catalan being used as the right centre-back, a new role for him.
It didn’t go well. Gonzalo Melero beat him to the ball to head home in the 57th minute and three later he was out of position as Jose Luis Morales smashed Levante level.
Luckily Dembele had other ideas, and had Barca back in front with a powerful strike into the top corner, but it was eventually voided.
Tono got the better of Sergino Dest and crossed for Sergio Leon to earn Levante a draw and kill Barcelona’s title hopes.
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