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| Barcelona's Jordi Alba, second right, celebrates with Lionel Messi, third right, Luis Suarez, right, Neymar, foreground and Iniesta, left, after Jordi scored a goal, during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Levante and Barcelona, at the Ciutat de Valencia stadium in Valencia, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz) |
Barcelona did just enough
to defeat last-place Levante 2-0 on Sunday and tie its all-time record of 28
consecutive games without a loss.
Associated
Press report continues:
Barcelona
took the lead with an own goal by Levante defender David Navarro in the 21st
minute and sealed the victory with an injury-time score by Luis Suarez to match
the unbeaten streak set by Pep Guardiola's team in the 2010-11 season.
The
result also kept Barcelona atop the Spanish league with 54 points, three more
than Atletico Madrid, which defeated Eibar 3-1 on Saturday. Third-place Real
Madrid is seven points off the lead going into its game at Granada later
Sunday. Barcelona will have a game in hand at the end of the 23rd round this
weekend.
It
was the 10th win in a row for Barcelona in all competitions. Luis Enrique's
squad hasn't lost since a 2-1 defeat at Sevilla in the seventh round of the
Spanish league in October.
"What
matters to me are the team's objectives," said Enrique, who coached
Barcelona for the 100th time on Sunday. "These are nice numbers, if they
help us win titles at the end of the season, fantastic. We are in good position
but there is still a lot left."
Guardiola's
team in 2011 went on to win the league by four points over Real Madrid. It also
won the Champions League, beating Manchester United in the final weeks later.
That unbeaten streak ended with a 3-1 loss at Real Betis in the Copa del Rey
quarterfinals.
Both
unbeaten teams won 23 games and drew five, each scoring more than 85 goals and
allowing fewer than 15. Guardiola's squad also won 10 in a row at one point.
The
Barcelona team coached by Rinus Michels in the 1973-74 season, which had Johan
Cruyff on the squad, also hadn't lost in 27 straight games.
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Barcelona's
Luis Suarez, left, duels for the ball with Levante's Tono Garcia during a
Spanish La Liga soccer match between Levante and Barcelona, at the Ciutat de
Valencia stadium in Valencia, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016. (AP Photo/Alberto
Saiz)
|
Barcelona
faced difficulties against minnow Levante on Sunday in the coastal city of
Valencia.
Although
the Catalan club controlled possession, Levante was able to contain the
attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Suarez, whose goal came in the final
seconds of the game.
"We
suffered a lot until the end," Barcelona midfielder Sergi Roberto said.
"We were able to go ahead in the first half but Levante played well and
pressured throughout the game. At the end we got that second goal and we have
to be happy for winning the three points."
The
hosts threatened on a few occasions and had some good chances to score,
especially on counterattacks. The local fans gave the team a standing ovation
at the end of the game despite the loss at the Ciutat de Valencia Stadium.
"We
played a very good match," said Levante striker Jose Morales, who struck
the post with a first-half shot. "We put pressure on them and created good
chances but in the end it comes down to the quality of their players, who are
extraordinary."
Barcelona's
first goal came when Jordi Alba's cross from inside the area struck Navarro's
back and bounced into his own net.
Suarez
had few chances until finding the net with an easy goal following a breakaway
just before the final whistle. It was Suarez's 10th goal in his last six
matches. The Uruguay striker is the league's leading scorer with 20 goals, one
more than Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo.
Messi
had a goal disallowed for an offside call after a great pass by Andres Iniesta
less than five minutes into the game though replays were at odds with the
decision.
Barcelona was coming off a
7-0 rout of Valencia in the semifinals of the Copa del Rey. It has outscored
opponents 34-5 its last 10 games.
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