Levante 3-3 Barcelona: result, summary, goals | LaLiga

Match report: Levante 3-3 Barcelona 

Reuters - Barcelona twice threw away the lead to draw 3-3 at Levante on Tuesday in a potentially fatal blow to their chances of winning the La Liga title.

The draw took Barca into second place in the standings on 76 points, one behind leaders Atletico Madrid and one ahead of third-placed Real Madrid, who both have a game in hand.

Lionel Messi put a dominant Barca in front after 26 minutes and then played a part in Pedri tapping in their second goal in the 34th after a sweeping team move.

Levante got a foothold in the game with a header from Gonzalo Melero in the 57th and talismanic forward Jose Luis Morales equalised three minutes later.

Ousmane Dembele restored Barca's lead in the 64th and looked to have sent Ronald Koeman's side provisionally top of the standings but Levante came back at them and equalised again when striker Sergio Leon netted at the near post in the 83rd.

Atletico can go four points clear of the Catalans with victory at home to Real Sociedad on Wednesday, while Real Madrid visit Granada on Thursday.

"This feels terrible, it's very difficult (to win the title) now," said Barca midfielder Sergio Busquets.

"We wanted to win and put pressure on the other teams but weren't able to and errors cost us dear, as has happened too many times this season. Teams keep scoring too easily against us."

Barca had clawed their way back into the title race with a sensational run of results since January but their resurgent challenge has unravelled in their last four games, in which they have taken five points.

Koeman's side gave away the lead in a shock 2-1 loss to visiting Granada on April 29 and after beating Valencia 3-2 in their next game were held 0-0 at home by Atletico on Saturday, missing a chance to go above Diego Simeone's side in the table.

Busquets, who wore a protective mask against Levante after sustaining a head injury versus Atletico, admitted Barca's opportunity to win the title had practically gone.

"We have very few chances of winning the league now and it's all our fault, we made lots of errors with our positioning and we lost concentration" he added.

"It wasn't just tonight, we've let a lot of points slip away from us this season, too many to fight to win the league."

Ronald Koeman post-match: "It depends on the results of the teams around us now, whether we win this league or not. We lacked intensity. We were superior in the first half and leading by two goals we then let the game go. They surprised us by scoring three goals, they're fighting for their lives. We relaxed too much. 2-0 up and conceding three goals in 45 minutes, it's not good. We weren't at our level. We have to analyse tonight's game. It's a gigantic step backwards."

Levante's point tonight ensures they will play Primera football next season. 

LaLiga table after Levante 3-3 Barcelona

Barcelona move into second with the point tonight. They sit one point ahead of Real Madrid and one behind Atlético with an extra game played. 

Sergio Busquets post-match: "We could've scored more. We've also been letting goals in too easily. It wasn't to be. It's our fault, sometimes for concentration, precision etc. Not just tonight, across the whole season. We dropped points against Atlético and Granada. Mathematically we're still in it. It's not just tonight, it's games throughout the season that have let us down."

Levante deserve a lot of credit tonight for fighting back.

Barcelona drop two points and it's now a huge challenge for them to win LaLiga. They had to win tonight. 

FT: Levante 3-3 Barcelona

Barcelona clear and it's all over!!

Levante take their time!

We've passed the 94th minute!

LEVANTE CORNER!

30 seconds!

Messi crosses, Levante clear!

Corner to Barcelona!!

Barca need a goal!

60 seconds left!

Barca move it around. Alba and Messi link up. Levante get rid of it and it's back to Ter Stegen. 

There is time for more still!

Dest clears as Levante attack. Barca breathe again!

There will be FOUR minutes of added-on time!

Captain and goalscorer Morales is off.

Piqué heads the Barcelona corner wide. He didn't get much behind that one. 

Barcelona corner!

It's been a phenomenal second half here!

Have Barcelona completely blown it? 

3-3

Barcelona change

OFF Sergi Roberto

ON Riqui Puig

Sergi Roberto only came on at half-time and now he's off again!

He's only on the pitch!

Toño whips in a left wing cross, Sergio Leon gets across Piqué to flick home a beautiful goal from six yards. 

Levante 3-3 Barcelona

Double change for Barcelona

OFF Dembélé & Griezmann

ON Dest & Braithwaite

We have 10 minutes left plus added time at the end of the 90. 

Dest and Braithwaite are about to come in for Barcelona.

Another double change for Levante

Morales takes the corner, it's cleared by Jordi Alba.

Dani Gómez's effort goes wide through a deflection. Levante corner. 

Barcelona change

OFF Pedri

ON Mingueza

The whole Barcelona team are back. The ball falls to De Frutos 25 yards from goal. On his left foot, he sends it high and wide. It remains 3-2 to Barcelona. 

Dembélé's pass completion rate tonight is 92.9%.

De Frutos crosses for Dani Gomez in the box, a poor touch lets him down. Barcelona clear!

Can Levante equalise again? Don't rule them out just yet. Twenty minutes to go!

Well, there hasn't been a minute to breathe in this second half, non-stop, end of the season madness! Just how we like it.

Jorge de Frutos goes in the book for protesting.

Griezmann lays it off to Dembélé on the right-hand side of the box, he opens his body up with once touch. One on one with Aitor, the Frenchman blasts it into the far top corner. A fine finish and Barcelona lead once again!

Dembélé fires Barca back into the lead!

IT'S 2-3!

What an incredible turnaround here at the Estadi Ciutat de Valencia!

Double change for Levante

What a strike by El Comandante!

He plays a one-two with Marti, it sits up lovely before he unleashes a 20-yard volley into the far corner. Ter Stegen has no chance!

TWO GOALS IN TWO MINUTES FOR LEVANTE!

Morales equalises for Levante!

They enjoyed that one in Valencia!

Levante 1-2 Barcelona

It's a super header from Melero, who steals a yard and fires the header past Ter Stegen from six yards. Game on!

DE JONG!

Aitor is off his line, the ball falls to De Jong 20 yards from goal. It rolls to his left foot, a deft chip takes Aitor by surprise. It lands on the top of the Levante net. 

Melero tackles well, preventing Messi from going beyond the halfway line on his right wing run. it remains 2-0 to the away side in Valencia. 

After tonight, Barca face Celta Vigo and Eibar in LaLiga. 

2 | Real Madrid - 75 pts v Granada (10) v Athletic (9) v Villarreal (6)

3 | Barcelona - 75 pts v Levante (14) v Celta Vigo (8) v Eibar (20)

Remaining games for top 3 in LaLiga title race:

1 | Atlético Madrid - 77 pts

v Real Sociedad (5th) v Osasuna (12) v Valladolid (17)

Sloppy play in the Barca midfield sees Levante hurry forward through Morales and Marti. The ball is worked wide, and crossed into Marti in the 6-yard box. Ter Stegen catches his header quite easily. 2-0

Sergi Roberto has slotted into the right-back role. 

Barcelona change

OFF Araújo

ON Sergi Roberto

We're underway for the second half!

As things stand, Barcelona are leading the way in LaLiga. There's still a long way to go here in Valencia though. 

PREMIER LEAGUE

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In case you missed it, former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola won another Premier League trophy with Manchester City tonight. 

Eyes on the ball. Messi smashes home to give Barca the lead. 

A fine first half display from Koeman's men. Plenty more to look forward to in the second half. 

HT: Levante 0-2 Barcelona

Messi whips in a fine cross, straight over the whole Levante backline, onto Busquets' head, but it flashes wide. 

Dembélé flies down the right wing and earns Barcelona a corner. Up comes Araújo. 

Levante have finished 15th, 15th and 12th in their last three campaigns. They currently sit in 14th. 

Levante are working the ball around nicely now, without really penetrating, as they seek a late goal in this first half. 

That was Pedri's fourth goal in his first season at Barca. It's still remarkable that it's only his first season. He has notched three in LaLiga and one in the Champions League. 

Well, Koeman said yesterday in his press conference that he couldn't watch Real Madrid vs Sevilla on Sunday night because he was too nervous. With two first half goals here, he'll be slightly more relaxed!

As things stand, Barcelona are top of LaLiga, they'll move onto 78 points with an extra game played.  

Levante 0-2 Barcelona

Messi - Dembélé - PEDRI!

It's a well worked move again. Dembélé does really well on the byline to pull it back for Pedri, who only has to tuck it into an empty net from close range. 

Barcelona double their lead!

Possession has always been key at FC Barcelona but a corner back to Ter Stegen is taking it too far!

Barcelona corner!

It's worked short, Barca end up going the whole way back to sweeper-keeper Ter Stegen. 

Confirmation of that Barcelona opener

MESSI GOES CLOSE!

Barca are really changing gears now - this time it's Messi, he works half a yard for himself with nice footwork on the edge of the box. Once he has that space, the Argentine buries his effort low and left of Aitor's near post. 

ALBA!

Alba is picked out at the back post by Messi. He hits the volley first time, really hit, but heads wide of the near post. 

Messi has now scored 29 goals in LaLiga and is well on his way to securing his eighth Pichichi trophy. 

Levante 0-1 Barcelona

Messi steps up once again! The balls lands to the No 10 in the box, and he produces an exquisite volley low and hard beyond Aitor. 

More patient play from Barca, Messi passes to Lenglet on the edge of the box. The centre-back isn't normally this high up the pitch. His left-footed strike from 20 yards is low and hard, struck well but straight at Aitor. 

The corner falls to Morales at an awkward angle on the edge of the box. It sits up nicely, his strike sails over Ter Stegen's bar. 0-0

It's a corner to Levante after some good work by former Real Madrid player Jorge De Frutos. 

Dembélé and Alba are offering all the width for Barcelona. Alba was fantastic in the position in the 3-2 win away at Valencia nine days ago. 

Ronald Koeman is back where he belongs, on the touchline. He served a two-match ban for comments made to the fourth official in the game versus Granada. 

Levante have made six changes from the eleven that started against Alavés last weekend. 

Morales' left wing cross causes problems in the Barca box. It's eventually cleared. Levante are 14th in LaLiga but they possess plenty of quality in Morales and Roger Marti, the club's all-time top scorer. 

Ronald Koeman’s men couldn’t take advantage of playing at home against leaders Atlético Madrid at the weekend in a match that ended in a goalless draw. They'll be hoping for the three points tonight. 

Messi's free-kick goes low into the wall. Barcelona have started quite well in Valencia. 

It's the De Jong and Pedri show once again. The Duthcman does so well to find Pedri. Aitor manages to scramble across the goalmouth to stop Pedri's effort. 0-0

PEDRI!!

De Jong picks out Pedri 10 yards from goals, in acres of space. He smashes it first time wide of the near post. An early scare for the home side. 

Barcelona are playing from right to left as we watch it. 

We're underway!

The players make their way onto the pitch at the Estadi Ciutat de Valencia.

Levante haven't won in 5 games. 

If Barcelona are to win LaLiga this season, they have to start with three points tonight. 

Kick-off at the Estadi Ciutat de València is just under half an hour away!

Koeman confident of Camp Nou stay

Ronald Koeman remains confident he will still be in charge at Camp Nou next season regardless of results over Barca's remaining three matches.

"There is nothing to answer on my future," he said. "You don't have to look for stories that are not there. From the first day he arrived, the president has shown me his confidence. If anyone can decide, it's him.

"The future is not for me to be worried about because I've signed two years as a coach. We have agreed to talk after the season, but before then we have two weeks and three more games to go.

"I cannot win a battle with the press or people on the outside. For many periods this season, they have valued me. For me, the important people are those who I work with every day and who value what we are doing."

Full story

Koeman's record vs Levante

Ronald Koeman has not lost either of his two matches against Levante as a manager, with his teams keeping a clean sheet in both previous encounters, including a 1-0 win for Barcelona in this season's reverse fixture.

However, Levante have won two of their last three meetings with Barcelona at the Ciutat de Valencia in LaLiga - one more than they had in their previous 11 home games against them in the competition.

Levante vs Barcelona: head to head

19 wins - Barcelona 

4 draws

2 wins - Levante

Levante record vs top 4 teams in LaLiga

Levante announce their starting XI for the visit of Barcelona

Levante in bottom half of LaLiga

Paco López's side are currently in the bottom half of the table with three games remaining. 

We'll have the Levante team news in as soon as we get it.

Barcelona starting XI vs Levante

Barcelona two points off league leaders Atlético

Barcelona remain two points off leaders Atletico Madrid following Saturday's stalemate between the sides and level on points with Madrid, who are one place better off due to their superior head-to-head record over their Clasico rivals.

Barca have collected just 10 of the last 18 points available in LaLiga, after picking up 45 from the previous 51, which Koeman puts down to fatigue at the end of another gruelling campaign behind closed doors.

"There are a lot of games that take their toll," Ronald Koeman said before tonight's game with Levante. "It is normal for all teams, especially those who have played in Europe and have reached cup finals this season."

Barcelona boss Koeman responds to Real Madrid penalty controversy

Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman reiterated his stance on VAR but was unwilling to comment on the controversial penalty awarded against Real Madrid through fear of being further punished.

Zinedine Zidane was left furious after Sevilla were given a spot-kick for handball against Eder Militao as Madrid were held 2-2 on Sunday, meaning the LaLiga title is no longer in their own hands.

The Dutchman, who has just served a two-game ban for comments made to the fourth official during last month's shock 2-1 home loss to Granada, did not want to get involved in the drama that unfolded at Estadio Alfredo di Stefano.

"If someone is better off not talking about refereeing, it is me," he said at a news conference on Monday previewing his side's trip to Levante. "I have already said what I think, my opinion has not changed. 

"If Madrid think they were harmed, that is their problem. As for VAR, I will not repeat any more."

Read more from Koeman

LALIGA

Levante vs Barcelona: times, TV & how to watch online

Barcelona will be aiming to return to winning ways in LaLiga against Levante at the Estadi Ciutat de València in order to keep their hopes of lifting the trophy alive. If you want to tune in from the US, your best bet is Fanatiz. 

Ronald Koeman’s men couldn’t take advantage of playing at home against leaders Atlético Madrid last weekend in a match that ended in a goalless draw. Levante go into the match after recording a 2-2 draw with Alavés.

With only three games remaining in the Spanish league, Barcelona are sitting third with 75 points, tied with arch-rivals Real Madrid, in second place, while Diego Simeone’s men top the table with 77 points. Levante are 15th in the standings with 39 points.

All the info you need to know on how and where to watchLevante host Barcelona at the Estadi Ciutat de València (Valencia) on 11 May at 4pm EDT / 10pm CEST.

Levante vs Barcelona live: welcome

Hello and welcome to AS English's live coverage of this LaLiga fixture as Levante host Barcelona. Kick-off is at 22:00 CEST.