Barcelona suffered a shock home La Liga defeat by relegation-threatened Cadiz to leave leaders Real Madrid closer to clinching the Spanish title.
The visitors began the day in the bottom three but Lucas Perez poked in from close range just after half-time to boost their survival prospects.
This was Barca’s first La Liga loss since 4 December, ending a 15-match unbeaten league run.
Second-placed Barca trail Real Madrid by 15 points with seven games left.
Any hopes the Catalans retained of derailing their great rivals’ bid for a 35th top-flight title were slim before the visit of Cadiz, but this result will serve as a reminder of the gulf between Spain’s dominant teams.
Barca have been resurgent under Xavi since his appointment as manager in November and even thrashed the league leaders 4-0 at the Bernabeu last month.
But the Nou Camp club have endured a chastening week, with this defeat coming five days after they were beaten at home by Eintracht Frankfurt and eliminated from the Europa League semi-finals.
January’s Premier League signings Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Adama Traore were left out of the starting XI against Cadiz before being brought on as the home side sought an equaliser, but the visitors held firm.
Victory takes Cadiz two points clear of the relegation zone with six matches left.
- Line-ups
- Match Stats
- Live Text
Line-ups
Barcelona
Formation 4-3-3
- 1ter Stegen
- 2DestBooked at 70minsSubstituted forMinguezaat 90+4′minutes
- 24García
- 15LengletSubstituted forTraoréat 77′minutes
- 18AlbaBooked at 90mins
- 21de JongSubstituted forde Jongat 77′minutes
- 5BusquetsBooked at 42mins
- 30Páez
- 7Dembélé
- 9DepaySubstituted forAubameyangat 61′minutes
- 19TorresBooked at 90mins
Substitutes
- 6Puig Martí
- 8Alves da Silva
- 11Traoré
- 12Braithwaite
- 13Murara Neto
- 14González Iglesias
- 17de Jong
- 22Mingueza
- 25Aubameyang
- 31Balde Martínez
- 36Tenas
Cádiz
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Ledesma
- 36ParraSubstituted forAkapo Martínezat 76′minutes
- 23HernándezBooked at 61mins
- 3Jiménez Jarque
- 22Espino
- 6Martín-Bejarano SerranoSubstituted forSan Emeterio Díazat 64′minutes
- 2JønssonSubstituted forChustat 77′minutes
- 21SobrinoSubstituted forArzamendiaat 82′minutes
- 8Fernández Iglesias
- 7Sánchez PonceSubstituted forAlejoat 64′minutes
- 25Pérez
Substitutes
- 9Lozano
- 10Perea
- 11Idrissi
- 12Alarcón
- 13Gil
- 14Alejo
- 15Akapo Martínez
- 16Torres Ruiz
- 18Negredo
- 19Arzamendia
- 24San Emeterio Díaz
- 32Chust
- Referee:
- Santiago Jaime Latre
- Attendance:
- 57,495
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home75%
- Away25%
- Shots
- Home18
- Away6
- Shots on Target
- Home6
- Away4
- Corners
- Home8
- Away1
- Fouls
- Home16
- Away9
Live Text
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Post update
Match ends, Barcelona 0, Cadiz 1.
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Full Time
Second Half ends, Barcelona 0, Cadiz 1.
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Booking
Jordi Alba (Barcelona) is shown the yellow card.
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Post update
Foul by Eric García (Barcelona).
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Post update
Lucas Pérez (Cadiz) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Post update
Foul by Ousmane Dembélé (Barcelona).
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Post update
Iván Alejo (Cadiz) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Post update
Offside, Cadiz. Santiago Arzamendia tries a through ball, but Iván Alejo is caught offside.
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Booking
Ferran Torres (Barcelona) is shown the yellow card.
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Post update
Foul by Eric García (Barcelona).
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Post update
Lucas Pérez (Cadiz) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Substitution
Substitution, Barcelona. Óscar Mingueza replaces Sergiño Dest.
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Post update
Attempt blocked. Gavi (Barcelona) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
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Post update
Attempt saved. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Barcelona) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Jordi Alba.
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Post update
Foul by Adama Traoré (Barcelona).
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Post update
Alfonso Espino (Cadiz) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Post update
Attempt blocked. Jordi Alba (Barcelona) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
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Post update
Corner, Barcelona. Conceded by Jeremías Ledesma.
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Post update
Attempt saved. Eric García (Barcelona) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
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Post update
Corner, Barcelona. Conceded by Álex Fernández.
