The poor La Liga away form of Barcelona has continued after suffering a 2-1 defeat at Cadiz on Saturday night.
Apart from this being their third away loss in four La Liga games, this is Cadiz’s first win against the Catalan giant since 1991. They were organized as they hit Barca on the counter.
💛🔴 #CádizBarça #LaLigaSantander
— Cádiz CF 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@Cadiz_CFEN) December 5, 2020
😍 WE DID IT, AGAIN 💛@Cadiz_CF @LaLigaEN pic.twitter.com/QSQAAEfwhz
This is also the third game that Barca will be punished for their own error at the back. Just like the goal they committed in the Alaves draw, Alvaro Negredo charged Marc-Andre ter Stegen down from throwing to tap the second goal into an empty net a few seconds after coming in for the Cadiz’s first goalscorer, Alvaro Gimenez.
Cadiz had recorded four wins initially before the game – all of which were away from home. This is their first home win in the top flight against any opposition for promoted Cadiz since 2006. This wins takes them four points above Barcelona and two points behind Champions League places.
This has been a good season for a team that had be touted for relegation to La Liga two on their arrival.
La Liga highlight: Cadiz v Barcelona
It took the hosts just 9 minutes to get into the lead. Gimenez left footed shot from very close range to the bottom right corner following a corner.
Barcelona then restored parity in the second half after a flurry of attacks. A Jordi Alba’s cross was deflected in for an own goal by Pedro Alcala.
Cardiz will later get back in front and eventually win it when Negredo took advantage of shambolic defending to score the winner. The former Sevilla and Manchester City striker had only been on the pitch for 44 seconds when he closed down ter Stegen before rounding the sliding Frenkie de Jong to tap into an empty net.
Barcelona need to go back to the drawing board
Coincidentally, Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman was part of the Catalan squad that lost to Cadiz the last time out. The Dutchman appeared to have turned a corner after a poor start, winning six of their last seven games in all competitions.
Barcelona is now sitting 12 points behind leaders Atletico Madrid after 10 games and six points off the Champions League places. Athletico is the only unbeaten team in the La Liga so far this season.
What has been Barca’s undoing this season are several sloppy goals being conceded. Although they benefitted from an own goal by Alcala to level but made the same mistake they have been making away from home when Clement Lenglet failed to control Jordi Alba’s throw-in to give Negredo the chance to score the winner.
Lionel Messi tried all he could as Cadfiz kept him much outside the box for most of the game. The Argentine still showed some class she had 10 of Barca’s 21 shots, with five saved by Jeremias Ledesma.
Cadiz wanted it more with their organized backline that was hitting Barca with a counter-attacking masterclass that proved a success despite having only 18% possession.
They might have been walloped by Athletico 4-0, but Cadiz has passed a strong message to have defeated Barca and Real Madrid already this season.
It is now left for Koeman to fashion out how his team can move from here.
