Ibrahim Diabate scored the winner as Alavés stunned champions Barcelona 1-0 to climb out of the LaLiga relegation zone.
Deportivo Alavés boosted their survival hopes with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over newly crowned LaLiga champions Barcelona at Estadio de Mendizorroza on Wednesday night. Ibrahim Diabate’s first-half strike proved decisive as the hosts secured a priceless three points in their fight against relegation.
Barcelona arrived in the Basque Country after sealing a second straight league title with victory over Real Madrid last weekend. Hansi Flick rotated heavily ahead of the final two matches of the campaign, making eight changes to his starting line-up. The altered side lacked fluency and failed to recover after falling behind before the interval.
The hosts started with greater urgency and intensity from the opening whistle. Diabate tested Barcelona early after turning sharply inside the area, while Abde Rebbach later curled an effort narrowly wide. Barcelona enjoyed most of the possession but struggled to create clear openings against a disciplined Alavés defence.
Marcus Rashford looked the visitors’ brightest attacking outlet during the opening half. The England forward fired one effort wide before Dani Olmo also threatened from distance. Despite Barcelona’s control of the ball, Alavés continued to look dangerous on set pieces and transitions.
Their pressure finally paid off in first-half stoppage time. Antonio Blanco reacted quickest following a corner and headed the loose ball back across goal. Diabate then outmuscled Marc Bernal inside the six-yard box before hooking his finish beyond Wojciech Szczesny to send the home crowd into celebration.
Alavés nearly doubled their advantage immediately after the restart when Diabate’s header forced Szczesny into another save. The home side remained compact defensively and frustrated Barcelona throughout the second period. Flick responded by introducing Pedri, Ferran Torres and Joao Cancelo shortly after the hour mark.
Barcelona pushed forward with greater urgency late in the match but lacked cutting edge in the final third. Rashford delivered several dangerous crosses into the area, though Antonio Sivera dealt confidently with most deliveries. Dani Olmo also fired wide during Barcelona’s best spell of pressure.
The hosts almost sealed victory earlier when Jon Guridi struck the woodwork, though the offside flag eventually went up. Barcelona continued to dominate possession until the final whistle but created very few meaningful chances against a resilient Alavés back line.
Barcelona dominated possession with 77 percent of the ball and attempted eight shots across the contest. However, none of their shots were on target as Alavés defended stubbornly throughout the night. The visitors also produced an expected goals tally of just 0.61 despite spending long periods inside the opposition half.
Alavés finished with nine total shots and forced Szczesny into three saves during the match. The hosts generated an xG of 1.24 and created the better openings, particularly from set pieces and quick transitions. Barcelona completed over 600 passes compared to Alavés’ 285, but Flick’s side struggled to break through the compact home defence consistently.
Diabate was the standout performer on the night for Alavés. The striker constantly troubled Barcelona’s defence with his movement and physicality before scoring the decisive goal shortly before halftime. His energy set the tone for an aggressive home performance.
Antonio Blanco also impressed in midfield and played a key role in the winning goal. The Spaniard battled tirelessly in central areas and repeatedly broke up Barcelona attacks. Goalkeeper Antonio Sivera contributed several important interventions during the closing stages.
For Barcelona, Rashford provided most of the attacking threat throughout the contest. The forward created several dangerous moments from wide areas, though he lacked support inside the penalty box. Pedri also added composure after coming off the bench in the second half. Barcelona’s hopes of reaching the 100-point mark in LaLiga also disappeared with the defeat.
Alavés travel to Real Oviedo next as they continue their battle to avoid relegation. Barcelona return home to face Real Betis before concluding their league campaign away at Valencia.
