Barcelona’s hopes of an unbeaten LaLiga campaign were ended in their penultimate game as they lost 5-4 at Levante.
The champions had gone 36 games unbeaten but trailed 5-1 after 56 minutes and their dramatic fightback came up short.
Fifth-bottom Levante had won their last four matches but were not meant to be a threat as Barca aimed to become the first team to remain unbeaten in a 38-game LaLiga season. But the hosts took the lead through Boateng after nine minutes and the Ghanaian rounded Marc-Andre ter Stegen to add a second in the 31st minute.
Coutinho pulled one back seven minutes before the break with a deflected effort, but Levante started the second half in style.
Bardhi found the top corner just 33 seconds after the break and Boateng completed his treble three minutes later after being played in by Antonio Luna.
Bardhi then added his second to make it 5-1, curling into the far-left corner from Roger’s pass.
Coutinho reduced the deficit three minutes later from close range and completed his first Barca treble with 26 minutes left with another deflected effort from range.
Suarez converted from the spot in the 71st minute after Sergio Busquets was fouled from a corner to make it 5-4, but Ernesto Valverde’s side could not find a late leveller and keep their run going.
Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale made a convincing case to be considered for a starting berth in the Champions League final against Liverpool with two scorching strikes in his side’s 6-0 hammering of Celta Vigo on Saturday. Bale put the burners on to race on to a through ball from Luka Modric and fire his side into the lead with a thumping low finish. He then knocked the ball through the legs of Celta’s Jonny Castro on the right wing and, with his next touch, lashed the ball into the roof of the net to the delight of the usually hard-to-please Santiago Bernabeu faithful, who gave him a standing ovation when he was substituted late in the game. “He played very well today and I’m very happy for him, but the important thing is that everyone is in great form heading to the final,” Real coach Zinedine Zidane told a news conference. Zidane has left Bale in the margins for most of Madrid’s run to a third consecutive Champions League final, starting him in only one of their six knockout games this season and taking him off at halftime in that game at home to Juventus. But with six goals and an assist in his last five
Liga starts, including the equaliser in last week’s thrilling 2-2 draw at Barcelona, the Wales forward has made a late bid for a return to the starting line-up in the May 26 final in Kiev. “It’s better like this, to have everyone firing on all cylinders,” added Zidane. “Of course now deciding a starting 11 for the final is going to give me a real headache.” Madrid’s top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo was rested against Celta to continue his recovery from a sprained ankle although there is no danger of him missing the final against Liverpool. Bale’s biggest competitors for a place in the starting line-up against Juergen Klopp’s side are midfielder Isco, who also scored in the win over Celta and has now recovered from a shoulder injury, and Spanish wingers Lucas Vazquez and Marco Asensio.
