A Barça with a sweet hangover loses by the minimum in Vitoria

BarcelonaThe staging in Vitoria was not bad, despite the team coming from the sweet hangover of Monday's parade through the streets of a Barcelona that was filled with hope. A Barça full of substitutes started with energy, but when you change more than half of the starters, it's normal for things not to work out. Alavés, a rival with their backs to the wall and who gave the azulgranas a champion's guard of honor, secured three vital points to stay in the top flight thanks to a goal from Diabaté before halftime (1-0). There will be no 100-point League, a symbolic title that will remain in the hands of Tito Vilanova.

Hansi Flick put a starting eleven on the pitch at Mendizorrotza with many changes compared to Sunday's classic. New faces from goal to attack. A debutant – reserve team center-back Álvaro Cortés – and players who have lost their starting status –Kounde, Balde, and Lewandowski– or who never quite had it, such as Rashford or Casadó, were among the chosen ones for a team with Dani Olmo as the sole main threat.

Despite having won the League, the azulgranas did not take it easy. Barça dominated possession, but without Pedri in the midfield engine room, the midfield trio formed by Casadó, Bernal, and Olmo, at the point of the triangle, was limited in its automatisms. In attack, Lewandowski barely touched the ball, and in the clearest chance he had, he was disoriented when he stepped onto the edge of the box and ended up making an erratic and mistimed pass. Little more from the Polish striker, who will surely experience his last match at the Camp Nou on Sunday against Betis before packing his bags for Saudi Arabia, where they will fill his pockets with millions.

An inaccurate Rashford and a Roony, whose initial effervescence, in which he showed a couple of good touches, did not last many minutes, did not help the azulgrana offensive surge either. Very little from the Briton, who had a field day losing the ball, and even less from the Swede, both with one foot and a half out of Barça. On the other hand, on the other side, Abde Rebbach became the beacon of his team's attack, and he confused a Kounde who has ended the season seeing Eric García snatch his right-back position.

Who else performed well for the Blaugranas was the debutant Cortés. He doesn't have the privileged foot of center-backs like Cubarsí, but he withstood the charges of Diabaté and Toni Martínez without flinching in the physical duels. Sober and forceful. He will hardly have a career at Barça – he is 21 years old and plays for the reserves – but the club put him in the spotlight. Another debut in a team full of youngsters.

Diabaté unleashes local joy

Barça dominated sterilely, and the locals, driven by fans who do not want to see their team playing in the Second Division next season, began to poke their heads into Szczesny's area. The first to try was Rebbach, who dodged rivals until he reached the edge of the box and looked for a pass to Diabaté which was well intercepted by Cortés. He then tried a shot that went just wide of the long post of the goal.

The local reward came just before halftime and from a set piece. Following a corner, and after a rebound from Rashford on the edge of the box, Antonio Blanco found Diabaté in the heart of the area, who outmuscled Bernal and beat Szczesny at close range.

It was the only goal of the match. A rough second half remained in which the azulgranas regained some spark with the introduction of Pedri and Ferran Torres just after the hour mark. Xavi Espart also came on, a right-back who is expected to have a good future at Barça. Hansi Flick's team tried, but without many ideas and even less depth. Alavés knew how to defend well – sometimes bordering on a toughness that angered the azulgranas players – to secure three points that are golden for the Basque team.