Barcelona Concede Three Penalties In One Game... But Still Win

Barcelona won their seventh consecutive game in La Liga on Sunday but they did it the hard way, after giving away three penalties against Levante.
Barcelona Concede Three Penalties In One Game... But Still Win
Barcelona Concede Three Penalties In One Game... But Still Win /

Barcelona won their seventh consecutive game in La Liga on Sunday but they did it the hard way.

Substitute Luuk de Jong scored the winner in second-half stoppage time to seal a 3-2 victory over Levante, who had been awarded three penalties during the match.

Levante's three penalties were all taken by different players.

Jose Luis Morales scored the first on 52 minutes, sending goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen the wrong way, after Dani Alves had fouled Son.

Morales looked relieved after converting from 12 yards, as he had had failed to score from his last three penalty attempts in La Liga.

That made it 1-0 and it should have been 2-0 three minutes later when Levante were awarded another penalty - this time against Eric Garcia for handball.

But Morales passed on the responsibility to Roger and his shot was saved by Ter Stegen.

To rub salt into Levante wounds, Barca equalized just before the hour-mark when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang headed home from an Ousmane Dembele cross to score his 10th goal for the club.

Pedri then completed the turnaround to put Barca 2-1 up on 63 minutes, moments after coming on as a sub.

But another penalty was lurking around the bend.

Clement Lenglet gave it away by tripping Daniel Gomez. Gonzalo Melero scored it and the game was level again on 83 minutes.

Despite his side chasing a winning goal, Barca manager Xavi Hernandez withdrew Aubameyang from the action.

This proved to be another wise substitution.

Replacement De Jong latched onto a Jordi Alba cross at the death to head Barca to victory and send them back up to second place in the table.

Luuk de Jong celebrates scoring an added-time winner to help Barcelona beat Levante in April 2022
Luuk de Jong celebrates scoring an added-time winner to help Barcelona beat Levante :: IMAGO/NurPhoto/Jose Miguel Fernandez

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Robert Summerscales
ROBERT SUMMERSCALES

Robert Summerscales launched FanNation Futbol in February 2022. Rob is a British journalist who previously spent two years on the sports desk at the Daily Mail in London, having earlier served as editor of CaughtOffside.com. He has been to the last two FIFA Men's World Cups, in Russia and Qatar, and is looking forward to completing his hat-trick in North America in 2026.