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Barcelona recorded their seventh consecutive La Liga win last night, coming back from behind to beat Levante 3-2 after Luuk de Jong scored the winner in stoppage time. Following the final whistle, relieved Barca manager Xavi heaped praise on the Dutch striker, as well as on goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter-Stegen, who crucially saved a penalty.
An uneventful first half saw both sides head into half-time with the score reading 0-0. It was Levante who eventually broke the deadlock when Jose Luis Morales converted a penalty conceded by Dani Alves to give his side the lead in the 52nd minute. Barcelona conceded yet another penalty just two minutes later, but Roger Marti's spot-kick was saved by Marc-Andre ter-Stegen to prevent Levante from doubling their lead.
The crucial save seemed to wake Barca up, as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang restored parity in the 59th minute, before Pedri gave Barca the lead in the 63rd minute. However, Clement Lenglet gifted Levante the opportunity to draw level by conceding the third penalty of the game. This time, Gonzalo Melero made no mistake as he converted from the spot in the 83rd minute to make it 2-2.
Following the equalizer, Luuk de Jong was brought on to replace Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. It ultimately proved to be an exceptional substitution, as the Dutchman headed home the winner for Barcelona in stoppage time to give his side all three points.
The victory saw Barcelona's resurgence continue, lifting them into second place in the league. Notably, Barca became the first team in La Liga to win a match despite having conceded three penalties.
According to Marca (via Barca Blaugranes), Barcelona boss Xavi spoke about the result in a post-match interview and reportedly said:
“The first half hasn’t been good at all. The team seemed mentally and physically fatigued. Playing on Thursday still weighed us down. In the second half we were much better.
“One of the keys is Marc’s save and another is Luuk’s goal. These are the details that ultimately count. That’s why we have a great goalkeeper and a great striker. They’ve made a great effort.
“In the end we need the whole team. Tired people, with a lot of minutes, we are giving rest and rotations. Hence the changes. The dynamic is very positive and we have to keep going.”
Barcelona prepare to host Eintracht Frankfurt in crucial UEFA Europa League second-leg clash
Although Barcelona are second in La Liga, they still trail league-leaders Real Madrid by twelve points. With a league triumph looking unlikely, Barca's best shot at silverware this season will be victory in the UEFA Europa League.
Following their 1-1 away draw against Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg of their quarter-final clash, Barca are set to host the Bundesliga side for the second leg this week in what will be an immensely important fixture for Xavi's men. With a place in the semi-finals on the line, Barcelona will look to go all out in order to emerge victorious.
