Barcelona's dream of a historic 100-point season came to a disappointing end on Wednesday, as the newly-crowned champions fell 1-0 to Alaves in the Spanish league. The defeat snapped an impressive 11-game winning streak for the Catalan giants, who had clinched their second consecutive league title just days earlier.
After securing the championship with a commanding 2-0 victory over arch-rivals Real Madrid on Sunday, Barcelona needed three wins from their final three matches to reach the coveted 100-point milestone. But those hopes evaporated in first-half stoppage time, when Alaves forward Ibrahim Diabate fired home from inside the box to stun the visitors.
"A little bit disappointed about the result, we all wanted to win today," Barcelona coach Hansi Flick admitted after the match. "But at the end I saw good things, I'm happy with the performance of the team."
The match began with a classy gesture from Alaves, whose players formed a guard of honor for the champions as they entered the field. But once the whistle blew, the hosts showed no mercy. The victory was particularly sweet for Alaves, who had not kept a clean sheet in 20 straight league matches. Meanwhile, Barcelona's remarkable run of scoring in 56 consecutive league games also came to an end.
For Alaves, the result was a massive boost in their battle against relegation. The win lifted them to 15th place with 40 points, just one point clear of the bottom three with two rounds remaining. "We are not clear yet, but it was a big step," said Alaves forward Toni Martínez.
Elsewhere in La Liga, Espanyol ended an 18-game winless streak with a 2-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao, moving up to 14th place. Sevilla continued their resurgence with a thrilling 3-2 comeback win at Villarreal, their third straight victory, while Mallorca slipped closer to danger after a 3-1 home loss to Getafe.
As the season enters its final stretch, Barcelona may have missed out on the 100-point mark, but their title triumph remains the headline story. For fans looking to celebrate in style, now is the perfect time to gear up with official Barcelona apparel and commemorate another championship season.