Barca unexpectedly lost to bottom team Leganes

Goals: El Zhar 52', Oscar 53' - Coutinho 12'

Barca did not look like a team in decline at the start of the sixth round. The defending champions continued to press the pitch as usual and opened the scoring early. Philippe Coutinho was the one who put Barca ahead in the 12th minute, with a precise volley from 17 meters.

Barca also showed their bad luck when they could not double the gap soon. The most regrettable situation was Messi's left-footed shot in the 17th minute that hit the junction between the crossbar and the post.

Unable to finish the match quickly, Barca began to reveal their weaknesses in terms of force and lost their advantage. Compared to previous matches, the Catalan team made a big change when they let Luis Suarez rest on the bench and put Munir El Haddadi on the field from the start. Without his familiar partner, Messi could no longer maintain his previous effectiveness.

The fact that left-back Jordi Alba started on the bench also had a significant impact on Barca's attacking play. When in good form, Alba is a player who works well with Messi and is a key player in supporting the two front lines.

Unable to maintain enough pressure in front of the opponent's goal, Barca paid the price when Leganes launched a "surprise attack" in the second half. Exploiting Thomas Vermaelen's loose marking in the 52nd minute, midfielder Nabil El Zhar rose up and headed the ball, forcing goalkeeper Ter Stegen to pick the ball out of the net.

While Barca had not yet regained their composure, Leganes continued to attack and created a big surprise. In the 53rd minute, after Sergio Busquets's mistake in clearing the ball, left winger Oscar was able to dive and shoot into the middle of the goal, raising the score to 2-1.

After two quick goals, Barca really lost confidence. There was still a lot of time left but the defending champions could not take advantage of it to equalize. With poor coordination, Barca continued to receive poor chances in front of Leganes' goal.

Goalkeeper Ivan Cuellar also played an important role in helping Leganes successfully defend their first victory. When the match entered the 80th minute, the player wearing the number 1 shirt shone brightly with two consecutive successful saves against Coutinho and Ivan Rakitic.

Leganes' first win in six games this season took them to four points and moved up from last place to 17th. Barca, meanwhile, missed the chance to move ahead of Real with their first defeat. The two leaders are now tied on 13 points, just two ahead of third-placed Atletico.