Messi-Less Barca Drop Factors At Home

A Lionel Messi-less FC Barcelona had to come from a goal right down to pull 1-1 with Eibar in LaLiga actions on Tuesday evening.

Barca boss Ronald Koeman was forced into building two improvements to his last beginning eleven. Messi, who was nursing an ankle problem, dropped out totally and was replaced by Antoine Griezmann. At left wing-again, Jordi Alba skipped out through suspension, meaning Junior Firpo started in the Spaniard’s place.

Barcelona had an opportunity to take the lead from the penalty location in the seventh minute. Ronald Araujo defeat Pedro Bigas to the loose ball in the region and the centre-again was then found by Bigas' trailing leg with the referee pointing to the location.

Martin Braithwaite stuttered up to the penalty before driving a vehicle a right-footed effort wide to the left of the target. Marko Dmitrovic dived the right way too but that didn't subject as the hosts' striker sets the penalty vast of the target.

In the 22nd minute, Miralem Pjanic corner towards the near content which was met by the head of Araujo. The centre-back made good connection with the header but Dmitrovic saved very well to his left to avoid the hosts from starting the scoring.

In the 35th minute, Damian Kadzior rifled a left-footed effort towards the most notable kept corner, forcing Marc-Andre Ter Stegen into parrying a save away to his right.

Eibar captain Kike opened the scoring for the tourists with a great assured left-footed finish in to the centre of the target former Ter Stegen, who had rushed out to close the striker straight down. Araujo will need to consider the blame as he carelessly provided possession away nearby the center circle, allowing the tourists' captain to then race away, before making the centre-back purchase his mistake.

Koeman's side equalised found in the 67th minute. Firpo exchanged a one-two with Philippe Coutinho before drilling a left-footed cross over the face of aim. The initial ball evaded everyone but located Dembele at the trunk post, where in fact the Frenchman drilled a right-footed effort low into the bottom left corner from the proper of the area.

In the 71st minute, Dembele whipped in a teasing delivery with his kept foot from the right-hand side. The cross was punched apart by Dmitrovic but only in to the chest of Braithwaite. However, regrettably for the hosts, the chance came at Braithwaite consequently quickly that it deflected off him and merely large of the right-hand content from within the six-yard area.

Pedri spurns a good glorious possibility to put his area ahead in the 86th minute seeing that he placed a right-footed work just above the bar from close to the penalty spot. Originally, Coutinho had done very well down the still left to attain the byline and drag his left-footed cross again towards Pedri prior to the hosts' youngster fired over.

In the next minute of stoppage time, Trincao danced around two defenders, after acquiring Dembele's cross from the right-hand side, and dragged a right-footed effort agonisingly close but wide of Dmitrovic's goal left.