The Japan Times - Alaves end champions Barca's bid for 100-point record

Hansi Flick's side needed to win their remaining three matches to reach that figure but fell at the first hurdle in Vitoria.

Ibrahim Diabate's goal in first half stoppage time earned Alaves a vital victory in their battle against relegation, taking Quique Sanchez Flores's team out of the drop zone and up to 15th.

Barca coach Flick gave 21-year-old centre-back Alvaro Cortes his debut, among several changes to the side that won the Clasico on Sunday to clinch back-to-back league titles.

The Catalans celebrated winning La Liga on Monday with an open-top bus parade and their performance reflected that to some extent.

Barca had plenty of the ball and winger Marcus Rashford offered energy, but Alaves dug deep to keep the visitors at arm's length.

Just before the break Diabate fired past Wojciech Szczesny, after Antonio Blanco headed a corner back towards goal, with Barca defenders not reacting quickly.

Szczesny pushed away a Diabate strike early in the second half as Alaves tried to double their lead.

Barca struggled to create any clear chances and the hosts came close through Jon Guridi, who beat Szczesny but struck the post with a drive across goal.

Earlier, Sevilla produced a sensational comeback from two goals down to beat Villarreal 3-2 and climb towards safety.

The Andalusian side have been struggling towards the bottom in recent months but secured their third consecutive victory to rise up to 10th provisionally, four points clear of the drop zone.

Gerard Moreno and Georges Mikautadze fired hosts Villarreal, third, into a two-goal lead inside 20 minutes.

However Oso and Kike Salas pulled Sevilla level before the break and Akor Adams struck in the 72nd minute to seal Sevilla's win, in a week where their former defender Sergio Ramos is reported to be close to completing a takeover of the club alongside an investment firm.

"It's an indescribable feeling, giving back to the fans all the love they give us," said Sevilla defender Salas.

Espanyol defeated Athletic Bilbao 2-0 at home to win their first match in 2026, ending an 18-game run without a victory.

Pere Milla and Kike Garcia's second-half goals helped the Catalan side, 14th, move three points clear of the bottom three.

"It's been one of the worst experiences of my professional and personal life," said Espanyol coach Manolo Gonzalez of his team's winless run.

The coach had tears in his eyes after Garcia struck late on to guarantee his team victory at long last.

"Now we have to go to Pamplona and win (against Osasuna on Sunday)," explained Gonzalez.

"We can't go there to play it safe. We have to take this momentum as far as possible."

Y.Watanabe--JT