Bottom-placed Leganes stun Barcelona in La Liga
Barcelona’s Argentinian forward Lionel Messi (L) conreols the ball during the Spanish league football match Club Deportivo Leganes SAD against FC Barcelona at the Estadio Municipal Butarque in Leganes on the outskirts of Madrid on September 26, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / OSCAR DEL POZO
Barcelona’s Philippe Coutinho opened the scoring early, but the host rallied with goals two minutes apart in the second half to earn its first win in six league games this season.
Leganes’ winner came thanks to a blunder by veteran central defender, Gerard Pique, who misplayed a shot while trying to clear the ball from inside the area.
Oscar Rodriguez, a former member of Real Madrid’s youth teams, who is on loan with Leganes, took advantage of Pique’s uncharacteristic mistake to score the 53rd-minute winner.
It came just after Nabil El Zhar had equalized with a header from close range after a long ball into the Barcelona area.
Leganes goalkeeper, Ivan Cuellar made a series of great saves near the end to preserve the victory.
Leganes had never earned a point against Barcelona in its three seasons in the first division.
The club from outside Madrid had won only one point from its first five games and was coming off three straight losses.
Barcelona was coming off a home draw against Girona in the previous round.
Lionel Messi couldn’t add to his 595 goals in his 700th appearance with Barcelona, including 55 non-official games.
