"Barcelona's quest for 100 points in this La Liga season has come to an end as the champions suffered a tight 1-0 defeat away to Alavés at the Mendizorrotza in the Basque Country on Wednesday night. A Barça side with several changes and a lot of reserves could never get their attack going all night, and conceded a poor goal just before halftime in a poor night for the Blaugrana."
"The opening 45 minutes went as expected for a Barça team with nothing to play for and with several changes to the lineup: the Catalans had the ball and kept most of the possession without creating much danger in attack, with only Marcus Rashford having a couple of half-chances early on. Alavés, on the other hand, played with a lot of passion and intensity needing a result in their fight against relegation, and they brought danger in a few moments with set pieces and balls into the box."
"Their pressure eventually paid off with 30 seconds to go before halftime when Ibrahim Diabate scored during a scramble in the box following a corner, and Alavés deservedly had the lead at the break. The second half featured much of the same: Barça had the ball but almost no ideas, while Alavés stayed tight and organized at the back looking to defend their lead. There were plenty of fouls and a few cards and virtually zero quality, and the final whistle came to give Alavés three gigantic points in their fight against relegation."
"This was not a good night for Barça but the result was irrelevant and Flick was able to rest many of his key stars while also giving minutes to reserves and youngsters, and 21-year-old Álvaro Cortés was a bright spot at center-back. The quest for 100 is now over, and Barça have two more games to play before the season ends."
Barcelona’s attempt to reach 100 points ended with a 1-0 defeat away to Alavés at Mendizorrotza. Barcelona fielded a rotated side with many reserves and could not generate attacking threat throughout the match. The first half saw Barcelona dominate possession without creating much danger, while Alavés played with greater intensity due to relegation pressure. Alavés repeatedly threatened through set pieces and balls into the box. With 30 seconds remaining before halftime, Ibrahim Diabate scored during a scramble after a corner, giving Alavés the lead. The second half remained similar, with Barcelona lacking ideas and Alavés defending tightly. Barcelona’s loss was not decisive for their season goals, and Hansi Flick used the match to rest key players and give minutes to reserves and youngsters, including Álvaro Cortés.
Read at Barca Blaugranes
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