Levante 2-3 Barcelona: Luuk de Jong header wins thriller full of penalties

Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s saved penalty turned the game upside down

Barcelona maintained their fine La Liga form with a remarkable win as they beat a Levante side from behind who conceded three penalties in the second half.

The game started after the break when Levante defender Son was fouled by Dani Alves, allowing Jose Luis Morales to convert from the spot.

Four minutes later, the home side received a second penalty after Eric Garcia played handball, only for striker Roger to score Barca keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Barca responded when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang headed in a superb Ousmane Dembele cross before two substitutes came together when Gavi Pedri scored for a sweeping finish.

Ter Stegen’s save offered Barca a stepping stone to turn the game around but he faced a third penalty after Maxi Gomez was fouled by Clement Lenglet – who was on the field for less than two minutes – and this time the substitute sent Gonzalo Melero the goalkeeper wrong path to the level.

Levante – seven points clear of safety – appeared to have earned a deserved point but Luuk de Jong headed Jordi Alba’s cross in injury time to make it a third substitute in an incredible second half.

Luuk de Jong came on in the 84th minute and scored the winning goal in added time

Levante must somehow find a healthy return of points in their last seven games to avoid relegation and they will wonder how they didn’t take anything from a night when three penalties fell on them.

They had been closest in a dismal first half when Morales was thwarted by a combination of Ter Stegen and Garcia on the goal line after a superb solo run.

But Barca remain the most in-form side in Europe’s top five leagues, with 11 wins and four draws in their last 15 LaLiga games.

They were far from at their best here but responded to adversity and – thanks largely to Ter Stegen’s crucial save from penalties to make it 1-0 – moved up to second in La Liga, 12 points behind Real Madrid with a game in hand.

lineups

Levant

formation 5-3-2

34Cardenas

20Miramon4Suarez Pier15Postigo14Nunes Vezo2Hidalgo

5Radoya8thGarcia24campaign

9Martin11moral

• 34Cardenas
• 20Miramon
• 4Suarez Pier
• 15Postigo
• 14Nunes VezoReplaced bystonemasonat the 76′protocol
• 2Hidalgo
• 5RadoyaReplaced byBardhiat the 76′protocol
• 8thGarcia
• 24campaign11 minutes bookedReplaced bymeleroat the 65′protocol
• 9MartinReplaced byGomez Alconat the 65′protocol
• 11moralReplaced bypubilat the 90′protocol

substitute

• 1Fernandez
• 6duarte
• 10Bardhi
• 12malsa
• 16soldier
• 17Vukcevic
• 21Gomez Alcon
• 22melero
• 23Andujar Moreno
• 25Saracchi
• 29stonemason
• 42pubil

Barcelona

formation 4-3-3

1Ter Stegen

8thAlves da Silva4Araujo24Garcia18Alba

14Gonzalez Iglesias5bouquets21de Jong

7Dembele25Aubameyang19torres

• 1Ter Stegen
• 8thAlves da SilvaReplaced bylengletat the 81′protocol
• 4AraujoBooked at 87 minutes
• 24Garcia
• 18Alba
• 14Gonzalez IglesiasReplaced byGonzalezat the 56′protocol
• 5bouquets
• 21de JongReplaced byPaezat the 57′protocol
• 7DembeleReplaced byTraoreat the 84′protocol
• 25AubameyangReplaced byde Jongat the 84′protocol
• 19torres

substitute

• 6Puig Martí
• 11Traore
• 12Braithwaite
• 13Murara Neto
• 15lenglet
• 16Gonzalez
• 17de Jong
• 22Mingueza
• 27Carevic
• 30Paez

Referee: Jose Luis Munuera Montero

Number of visitors: 20,785

live text

1. Game ends, Levante 2, Barcelona 3.

2. End of the second half, Levante 2, Barcelona 3.

3. Foul by Ronald Araújo (Barcelona).

4. Marc Pubill (Levante) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

5. Goal! 2. Levante, 3. FC Barcelona. Luuk de Jong (Barcelona) header from the center of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Jordi Alba with a cross.

6. attempt blocked. Luuk de Jong (Barcelona) left footed shot from the center of the box is blocked. Assisted by Jordi Alba with a cross.

7. attempt blocked. Ronald Araújo (Barcelona) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

8. Substitution for Levante. Marc Pubill replaces Jose Luis Morales.

9. Pedri (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

10. Foul by Enis Bardhi (Levante).

11. attempt saved. Gavi (Barcelona) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.

12. Ronald Araújo (Barcelona) is yellow carded.

13. Foul by Sergio Busquets (Barcelona).

14. Pepelu (Levante) wins a free kick on the right wing.

15. attempt failed. Alejandro Cantero (Levante) header from the center of the box is too high. Assisted by Jose Luis Morales with a cross from a corner.

16. Corner, Levant. Goal conceded by Eric García.

17. Substitution Barcelona. Adama Traore replaces Ousmane Dembele.

18. Substitution Barcelona. Luuk de Jong replaces Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

19. Goal! 2nd Levant, 2nd Barcelona. Gonzalo Melero (Levante) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.

20. Clément Lenglet owes a penalty with a foul in the penalty area.