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Barcelona were held to a 1-1 draw by Alaves at Camp Nou on Saturday, with Sergi Barjuan overseeing his first game as an interim coach.
An entertaining first half – the first since Ronald Koeman was sacked midweek by the Catalans – saw Barca probe from the start and Alaves strike the counterattack, but neither side found a way out. way and the teams went to the break tied 0-0.
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A moment of individual brilliance from Memphis saw the hosts take the lead early in the second, as the Netherlands international cut through his right foot and curled a nice shot into the net from a distance.
Alaves fired back after Barca’s goal with a clever combination that shot Luis Rioja into the penalty area and he rounded Marc-Andre ter Stegen to shoot into an empty net to equalize the score.
Barcelona saw Sergio Aguero and Gerard Pique replaced on either side of the half with apparent injuries.
Perhaps most concerning is Aguero’s withdrawal. Barca have not confirmed what the problem is but it appeared to be linked to his chest and he was taken to hospital for further testing.
After the defeats of Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano which led to Koeman’s sacking, only 37,000 fans showed up at Camp Nou to watch the first game under the guidance of interim coach Sergi Barjuan, the club’s worst attendance. for 20 years.
Eric Garcia had Barca’s best opportunity in the first half with a header and Aguero’s long-range shot was gone but the best chance went to Alaves’ Edgar Mendes.
Barcelona came out with more aggressive intention after the break and Depay produced a superb strike to score their fifth goal of the season.
La Rioja responded quickly, however, running on Joselu’s heel to get around Ter Stegen and place the ball into an empty net.
17-year-old Barcelona midfielder Gavi dribbled past four Alaves defenders and set up Memphis whose effort hit the post and Nico also created a chance for the Dutchman who was saved by the keeper Antonio Sivera.
The result leaves Barca stuck in ninth place with 16 points, while Alaves will cherish the point more as they narrowly keep it outside the La Liga relegation zone.
Reuters information was used in this report.
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