Barcelona started and finished strongly on Sunday night, but fell back in the middle and drew 2-2 over less fashionable neighbors Espanyol to finish fourth in La Liga. Barcelona coach Xavi said, “We didn’t play well, but we played well enough to win. The bad news is we didn’t win.” Pedri gave Barcelona the lead in the second minute but Sergi Darder equalized after 40 minutes and Raul de Tomas set up a counter-attack after 64 minutes. With time running out, Luc de Jong led an equalizer that saved a point for Barcelona, but they still end the weekend 15 points behind leaders Real Madrid.
They overtook Atletico Madrid, who won by goal difference on Saturday.
“In the end we lost more ground,” Xavi said.
“We saved a point in the end, which is insufficient, but we are still in the race for the Champions League.”
Barcelona applied intense pressure from the start and quickly grabbed a reward.
Pedri made an unmarked jump over the far post to meet Jordi Alba cross and volley and further attacked Barca.
The initial dominance gradually waned.
Barcelona leveled Darder for the home team with a right-footed curling blow after taking the ball away on the 40th minute.
Barcelona were further frustrated after Gavi was struck out in the 56th minute, as unfazed Frankie de Jong was offside as the ball ran over him.
Eight minutes later, Espanyol struck their visitors with a beautifully executed counter-attack.
Darder’s long pass caught Barcelona’s defense too far. De Tomas controlled the ball to his chest, ran uncontrollably and drilled a shot in front of Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
“The first goal was a pass we didn’t need to risk, and the second was our fault,” Xavi said. “But football is a game of mistakes.”
“In the end they were more effective.”
As well as Luc de Jong, Xavi threw in the winter to sign Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and, with 18 minutes remaining, gave Ousmane Dembele, who refused to sign a contract extension, his first since 8 January. There was presence.
“He can help us,” Xavi said. “That’s another for the purposes of reason and season.”
The two teams began adding time after Barcelona’s Gerard Pique and Espanyol’s Nicolas Melamed tangled in the 90th minute and collected their second yellow card.
In the sixth minute of extra time, the 62nd-minute replacement, Luc de Jong, jumped to meet a cross from Adama Traore and smashed a header down and into the net.
Barcelona lost to third-place Real Betis, who had won 4-2 in last-placed Levante earlier on Sunday.
Nabil Fakir, Edgar Gonzalez, William Carvalho gave the visiting team three wickets after 42 minutes.
But Danny Gomez responded with his first two league goals of the season, either side of half-time for Levante.
Fakir ended the resistance in 39 minutes with a free kick for the sixth goal in the 49th minute.
Real Sociedad climbed to sixth place as captain Mikel Oyarzabal converted a penalty and Rafael Alcantara added a second as they beat Granada 2-0.
On Saturday, leaders Real Madrid were held to a goalless draw at Villarreal.
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That means Sevilla, who won 2-0 at home against Elche on Friday, cut the lead to four points.
Atletico Madrid took part in a unique celebration of goals as they beat Getafe 4-3.
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