FC Barcelona suffered a surprise 1-0 defeat to Deportivo Alavés on Wednesday, ending their hopes of matching the all-time La Liga points record of 100.
Fresh from securing the league title, Barcelona needed victories in their final three matches to equal the historic mark but stumbled in Vitoria at the first opportunity.
Forward Ibrahim Diabate scored the winning goal in first-half stoppage time to hand Alaves a vital victory in their relegation battle.
The result lifted Alaves to 15th place and out of the relegation zone.
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick admitted the game was difficult against a side fighting for survival.
“It was not an easy game because they are fighting to stay in La Liga,” Flick said after the match.
The German manager rotated his squad heavily after Sunday’s title-clinching Clasico victory, handing 21-year-old defender Alvaro Cortes his debut.
Barcelona’s players had also celebrated their league triumph earlier in the week with an open-top bus parade through the city.
Despite dominating possession, the Catalan side struggled to break down a disciplined Alaves defence.
Diabate struck just before halftime after Antonio Blanco headed a corner back into the danger area, catching Barcelona’s defenders off guard.
Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny later denied Diabate a second goal early in the second half.
Barcelona pushed for an equaliser but created few clear opportunities as Alaves held firm to secure a crucial three points.
Elsewhere, Sevilla FC staged a dramatic comeback from two goals down to beat Villarreal CF 3-2.
Goals from Gerard Moreno and Georges Mikautadze gave Villarreal an early advantage before Sevilla responded through Oso and Kike Salas.
Akor Adams scored the winner in the 72nd minute to seal Sevilla’s third straight victory.
The win moved Sevilla provisionally into 10th place and four points above the relegation zone.
Meanwhile, RCD Espanyol defeated Athletic Bilbao 2-0 to record their first victory of 2026.
Goals from Pere Milla and Kike García ended Espanyol’s 18-match winless run.
An emotional Espanyol coach Manolo Gonzalez described the streak as one of the toughest periods of his professional and personal life.
Elsewhere, RCD Mallorca remained in danger after a 3-1 loss to Getafe CF, a result that boosted Getafe’s hopes of qualifying for the UEFA Conference League.
