Barcelona Fall to Alaves as Title-Winners Are Held Scoreless

Alaves stun Barcelona 1-0 to climb out of LaLiga relegation zone

Barcelona’s post-title slump continued with a 1-0 loss at Alaves. Diabate’s goal and a resolute defense ended Barca’s 11-game LaLiga winning streak.

Alaves stunned champions Barcelona 1-0 with Ibrahim Diabate’s first-half volley, ending Barca’s 11-match winning streak and boosting their LaLiga survival hopes...

Alaves recorded their first clean sheet in 21 LaLiga matches to stun champions Barcelona 1-0 at the Estadio de Mendizorroza.

It was no surprise to see Alaves come out aggressively, with Barcelona having already clinched the title and making eight changes to their lineup. Ibrahim Diabate created the first chance within a minute, followed by a flurry of half-opportunities for the visitors. Neither side showed much cutting edge, and despite nine shots between them before the half-hour mark, none were on target.

With Robert Lewandowski and Marcus Rashford struggling to make an impact, much of the play got stuck in a congested midfield, sapping the game of any real flow or excitement.

 

The hosts, desperate for points to climb out of the relegation zone, showed greater urgency. That persistence paid off right before half-time when Diabate held off Marc Bernal and produced a brilliant volley past Wojciech Szczesny to break the deadlock.

Alaves giving Barcelona guard of honour

Szczesny was forced into action five minutes after the break, producing a two-handed save to deny Diabate’s strong downward header that looked destined for the net.

Alaves made their intentions clear by lining up with a five-man defence, underlining their focus on securing a first clean sheet in 21 matches.

FT: #AlavesBarça 1-0

💙 Alaves wins against the champions! #LALIGAEASPORTS #DESENLACELALIGA pic.twitter.com/uVRFP7VHVD

— LALIGA English (@LaLigaEN) May 13, 2026

With 15 minutes remaining, Barcelona had the momentum and kept the hosts pinned deep in their own half. Despite their pressure, the Catalans couldn’t find a way through a resolute defensive display, and the defeat ended their 11-match winning run in the league.

For Alaves, it was a first victory over Barcelona in eight years and 18 meetings, a result that lifts them to 15th in the table with two games still to play.