Under-strength Barca survive Celta fightback to stay unbeaten

Runaway La Liga leaders Barcelona held on to draw 2-2 at Celta Vigo on Tuesday with a much-changed side as they survived having Sergi Roberto sent off late in the second half to preserve their unbeaten league record this season.

Barca lead the standings on 83 points after 33 games, 12 ahead of second-placed Atletico Madrid, who visit Real Sociedad on Thursday, while Real Madrid, a further four points back in third, host Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday.

France forward Ousmane Dembele struck his first goal in the Spanish top flight to give Barca the lead against the run of play in the 36th minute but Celta got a deserved equaliser just before halftime when Jonny Castro struck from close range.

Paco Alcacer restored Barca's lead in the 64th minute but Celta, who had beaten the Catalans 4-3 and 4-1 at home in the previous two seasons, continued to pour forward and caused the visitors' inexperienced defence problems.

Substitute Roberto was given a straight red card in the 71st for halting a surging run from Iago Aspas and the Spain striker levelled in the 82nd minute, bundling the ball in with the help of his arm and scoring his 20th league goal this season.

With the King's Cup final against Sevilla coming up on Saturday, Barca coach Ernesto Valverde made eight changes to the team that beat Valencia at the weekend, leaving out most of his regular starters including talisman Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Gerard Pique and captain Andres Iniesta.

The wholesale changes meant it was the first competitive game in 16 years in which Barca started without a player who had come through their academy and the lack of experienced personnel saw 24-year-old keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen named as captain.

Celta dominated the final part of the game, despite Messi having come on earlier in the second half, but Barca clung on for the draw, staying on course to become the only team to finish a Liga season without losing.

"I wanted to make changes bearing in mind where we have come from and that we have a final coming up," said Barca coach Valverde, who was blamed after the shock exit to AS Roma in the Champions League quarter-finals for not rotating his squad more.

"When you make many changes you are taking a lot of risks but tonight I thought it was the right moment to assume those risks," he said.

The point means Barca can guarantee lifting the title if they win their next games at Deportivo La Coruna and Real Madrid but they could wrap up a 25th Liga crown before then if Atletico Madrid lose their next two against Real Sociedad and Real Betis.

"We don't take this draw as a good thing as we always want to win but we have to accept what we have," Valverde added.

"It was an end-to-end game but just as we were at our best we had the sending off and we had to reshape ourselves. It's another point and now we need two more victories to become champions."

Barca's King's Cup final opponents Sevilla, who are seventh, were held to a 0-0 draw at relegation-threatened Deportivo earlier on Tuesday, while sixth-placed Villarreal beat Leganes 2-1 as they battle for a Europa League qualifying spot.

(Reporting by Richard Martin; editing by Ken Ferris)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Barca hit PSG for six in historic late fightback

BARCELONA, Spain -- Sergi Roberto scored in the fifth minute of stoppage time as Barcelona capped a sensational Champions League fightback to thrash Paris Saint-Germain 6-1 and reach the quarter-finals on Wednesday.

"I threw myself at it with everything," Roberto told BeIN Sports Spain as his outstretched leg turned home Neymar's cross.

Despite Luis Suarez's early opener, a Layvin Kurzawa own goal and Lionel Messi's penalty, Barca, who lost the first leg 4-0, looked down and out when Edison Cavani volleyed home what seemed to be the vital away goal for PSG.

However, Neymar restored Barca's belief as he firstly fired home a sensational free-kick two minutes from time and then converted from the penalty spot.

And Roberto capped the biggest comeback in Champions League history when he stretched to turn home Neymar's dinked cross to the delight of a near 100,000 at a rocking Camp Nou, making the score 6-5 on aggregate.


"It is a difficult night to explain with words," said outgoing Barca boss Luis Enrique.

"It was a horror movie, not a drama, with a Camp Nou that I have seen very few times as a player or coach.

"What defines this victory is the faith that the players and fans had."

PSG coach Unai Emery accepted his side lost their composure in the closing stages as he suffered a 12th defeat in as many visits to the Camp Nou.

"The truth is we have let a huge opportunity get away and we are aware of that," said Emery.

"In the last two minutes we lost everything we had recovered in the second-half. Barcelona are capable of this in their stadium. In the last few minutes they played all or nothing and they have beaten us."

Barca also enter the record books by reaching the quarter-finals for a 10th straight season.

PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi was blunt in his summary.

"It's a nightmare for everyone. Three goals in seven minutes is very difficult. Everybody is upset but now is not the time to talk about it."

Enrique warned the French champions on Tuesday that his side were capable of scoring six and they needed the full 95 minutes to pull of a miracle revival.

No side had ever come back from a 4-0 first leg deficit in the Champions League, but after much pre-match hype of a historic turnaround, Barca truly believed when Suarez opened the scoring after just three minutes.

The PSG defence was stationary as Marquinhos headed Rafinha's cross high into the air and Suarez nipped in ahead of the flapping goalkeeper Kevin Trapp to nod in despite Thomas Meunier's best efforts to clear off the line.

- Shambolic defending -

Barca's hopes were further raised five minutes before the break thanks to more shambolic PSG defending.

Andres Iniesta reached Suarez's hopeful through ball and his backheel provoked Kurzawa into shanking the ball into his own net on his weaker right foot.

The second period started just as the first ended as Barca edged closer to the history books when Neymar was clipped by the prone Meunier and, after consultation with one of his assistants, German referee Deniz Aytekin pointed to the spot.

Messi made no mistake with the penalty to rifle home his 11th Champions League goal of the season.

Only when 3-0 down did PSG begin to come out in search of the crucial away goal and were rewarded just after the hour mark when Kurzawa made amends for his earlier error by heading down a free-kick and Cavani connected sweetly on the volley to register his 38th and seemingly most important goal of the season.

PSG were then to rue to huge missed chances by Cavani and Angel di Maria to put the tie completely beyond Barca.

Just when Barca looked down and out Neymar restored hope when he curled home a sensational free-kick high into the top corner.

And as the match entered stoppage time, Barca were awarded a second controversial penalty when Suarez tumbled under a challenge form Marquinhos.

Neymar this time took responsibility to send Trapp the wrong way.

"This is the best game I have ever played. For what it meant, for what we experienced and because I am in great form," Neymar told BeIN Sports.

"I know that we have made history. A team like this can do anything."

And the Brazilian also showed a cool head amongst a mad final minute when he cut inside before chipping into the box for substitute Roberto to extend his right leg just enough to beat Trapp and leave PSG floored.

source: news.abs-cbn.com