Almeria 1-0 Barcelona: El Bilal Toure strikes as Barcelona suffer just their second La Liga loss of the season

Almeria stunned La Liga leaders Barcelona with a 1-0 win that lifts them out of the bottom three.

Breakout star El Bilal Toure continued an excellent debut season in Spain with a brilliant goal 24 minutes into the first-half.

The Mali international chested down a long ball, laid it off and immediately raced in behind to receive the return ball. Taking back possession, he drove into the Barcelona box before unleashing a thunderous strike that goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen had no hope of saving.

Manager Xavi Hernandez responded to an anaemic first-half by introducing Brazil winger Raphinha at the expense of Franck Kessie.

Xavi himself was booked for protesting the award of a goal-kick when he thought his side were owed a corner.

Barcelona dominated possession but after 70 minutes had still not managed a single shot on target.

Ronald Araujo was sent on as an emergency centre forward, but not until the 82nd minute did second-half substitute Angel Alarcon get Barcelona’s first shot on goal.

The defeat was Barcelona’s first in La Liga since the mid-October Clasico loss to Real Madrid – a 13 game run – but also marked consecutive losses following their mid-week Europa League exit at the hands of Manchester United.

Talking point – Will European hangover bite Barcelona?

Xavi Hernandez’s Barcelona slipped to consecutive defeats for the first time since last April, coincidentally also when they were bounced out of the Europa League. This year it was Manchester United, last year Eintracht Frankfurt, but it does not augur well for a Barca campaign which promised so much.

The La Liga leaders face a defining period with the Copa del Rey semi-final against Real Madrid looming large in midweek before a return to league football next weekend.

Barca’s ridiculous defensive record – seven goals conceded in the league before tonight – was never likely to continue for a full season, but it was more the anaemic nature of their attack against Almeria that was cause for concern.

Can Xavi get his team back to their best in midweek?

Player of the Match – El Bilal Toure

El Bilal Toure has been Almeria’s player of the season so far, and it came as little surprise that he shone again against Barcelona. The Mali international scored a brilliant individual goal, but it was his tireless running and selfless hold-up play that gave his team the vital outlet they needed to relieve the endless Barcelona pressure.

Without his strength, speed, and intelligence, Almeria would likely not have held out against the sheer weight of Barcelona possession. With him, they constantly punctured those long spells and stopped the visitors ever really getting up a head of steam. Barcelona also couldn’t commit numbers forward because of the danger of Toure getting in behind.

Player ratings

Almeria: Martinez 6, Babic 7, Ely 7, Akieme 7, Brandariz 6, De la Hoz 8, Eguaras 6, Robertone 5, El Bilal Toure 8, Suarez 8, Baptistao 6. Subs: Embarba 6, Costa N/A, Kaiky 6, Ramazani N/A, Pozo N/A

Barcelona: Ter Stegen 6, Sergio 6, Gavi 7, Lewandowski 5, Ferran 6, Christensen 6, Jordi Alba 5, Kessie 6, Sergi Roberto 6, De Jong 7, Eric Garcia 5. Subs: Araujo 6, Marcos Alonso 6, Raphinha 5, Alarcon 6.

Match highlights

19′ KESSIE CAUGHT OFFSIDE – A clever backheel from Lewandowski releases Franck Kessie but he was marginally offside and the flag is raised.

24′ GOAL ALMERIA! – El Bilal Toure chests down a long ball to Luis Suarez and races in behind to receive the return ball before hammering his shot past Ter Stegen.

28′ TER STEGEN FORCED INTO SAVE – The long corner seemed to have beaten everyone, but Juan Brandariz didn’t give up and hooks it back in towards Ter Stegen who reacts quickly to push it wide.

51′ XAVI BOOKED – The Barcelona manager wanted another corner, but didn’t get one and is booked for his remonstrations.

62′ EL BILAL THREATENS AGAIN – Barcelona are being prevented from really pushing forward as the Malian striker continues to pose a real threat.

86′ ARAUJO HEADS WIDE AGAIN – A great run into the box from the Uruguayan, but his header is inches wide.

90′ ARAUJO HEADS OVER – The Uruguayan has been influential in attack since coming on, but not in a good way. He’s spurned four good scoring chances.

90′ EMBARBA ALMOST DOUBLES THE LEAD – Almeria counter attack and Embarba finds himself one-on-one with Ter Stegen but the German does brilliantly to keep Barcelona alive.

Key stats

Almeria: 14 – Almeria midfielder Cesar de la Hoz made 14 defensive interventions against Barcelona, including blocks, interceptions, tackles, and aerial duels. That was far more than any player on the pitch and deserving of recognition in an impressive defensive performance.

Barcelona: 1 – The visitors managed only a single shot on target in 90 minutes despite having 72% possession. Yes Almeria made it hard for them, but this was a worryingly poor attacking display from the Blaugrana.