Messi’s Barcelona Crumble Before Cadiz For Fourth La Liga Defeat

Barcelona's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi reacts during the Spanish League football match between Cadiz and Barcelona at the Ramon de Carranza stadium in Cadiz on December 5, 2020. JORGE GUERRERO / AFP — Barcelona’s Argentinian forward Lionel Messi reacts during the Spanish League football match between Cadiz and Barcelona at the Ramon de Carranza stadium in Cadiz on December 5, 2020.
JORGE GUERRERO / AFP

Lionel Messi’s Barcelona suffered a fourth defeat in La Liga this term with Saturday’s 2-1 loss at promoted Cadiz.

Alvaro Gimenez and Alvaro Negredo scored for the hosts either side of Pedro Alcala’s own goal, leaving Ronald Koeman’s side in seventh place, 12 points off league leaders Atletico Madrid

Meanwhile, Real Sociedad were unable to regain first place in La Liga on Sunday night when they were held to a goalless draw at Basque rivals Alaves.

Deprived of injured captain Mikel Oyarzabal, top scorer in La Liga with seven goals, Sociedad were unable to breach the home defence.

The draw dropped them one point behind Atletico, who on Saturday beat Valladolid 2-0 for a seventh straight Liga victory.

Earlier on Sunday, Villarreal also lost ground with a 0-0 draw at home to Elche. Villarreal regained third place but fell five points behind Diego Simeone’s league leaders.

Sociedad and Villarreal have both played two games more than Atletico and one more than fourth-placed Real Madrid.

Real Madrid reversed a recent slide with a 1-0 victory at Sevilla on Saturday.

AFP