Stats on Levante 2-3 Barca: Late Elgezabal own-goal helps Catalans’ turnaround

The late self-goal of Unai Elkerkal saw Barcelona complete a second half comeback while they maintained their perfect start to their LaLala title defense with a 3-2 victory over Levante.

The team of Hansi Flick seemed to be preparing for their first competition against their opponents since 2019, but again showed their recovery.

Levante surprised the Laliga champions with just 15 minutes on the clock when Ivan Romero shifted the ball brilliantly on his right foot before he protruded the top left corner.

Barcelona came close to equalizing the match eight minutes before half -time when Ferran Torres was found by Raphinha, but the efforts of the Spaniard that were channel against the Dwarsbalk.

And Flick's side was made to pay for that miss in the first half of the stopping time when the target -related strike of Jose Luis Morales de Arm of Alejandro Bald in the box.

The penalty was finally given after a long VAR assessment, where Morales sheds up to send the Spot-Kick comfortably outside the handle of Joan Garcia.

But two goals in three minutes shortly after the break, Barcelona saw parity restoring, with Pedri reduced the deficit in the 49th minute with a stunning finish remotely.

Ferran Torres then returned home Raphinha's teasing delivery from a corner, but there would be late drama in Estadio Ciudad de Valencia who went to the benefit of the visitors.

While the match tapped in the first of seven added minutes, the ball of Lamine Yamal in the area was unintentionally changed by El Manabal to its own net to complete the turnaround.

Data Debrief: Comeback Koningen

Most teams that are two goals during the break would be sent to beat, but not this Barcelona team, which came back to win a LaLala match after a 2-0 deficit at the break for the first time this century (D1 L12).

Indeed, the Blaugrana have now also won each of their last four games in the top flight when they are left with two goals, from behind to beat Atletico Madrid (4-2), Celta Vigo (4-3) and Real Madrid (4-3) in the 2024-25 campaign.

And it was their star quality in the last third that seemed, with Yamal who tried a game-high 20 dribbles, who completed eight of them, while only Raphinha (four), Eric Garcia and Balde (both three) created more opportunities than the Spaniard (two).

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