SM
Watford vs. Leeds: 17 hrs 38 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews
BL
La Liga
May 23, 2015 at 5.30pm UK
 

2-2

Messi (5', 59')
FT(HT: 1-0)
Perez (67'), Salomao (76')

Deportivo La Coruna defy the odds and achieve survival with Barca fightback

:Headline: Result: Deportivo La Coruna defy the odds and achieve survival with Barca fightback: ID:224474: from db_amp
Deportivo recover from a two-goal deficit at Barcelona to dramatically win their relegation battle on a thrilling final day of the La Liga season.

Deportivo La Coruna came from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Barcelona and earn the point that keeps them in La Liga on a dramatic final day of the season at Camp Nou.

Lionel Messi's double, coupled with Eibar's 3-0 win over Cordoba, had looked like condemning Victor Sanchez's men to life in the Segunda Division next term.

However, the visitors hit back through Lucas Perez and Diogo Salomao in the final 25 minutes to seal a point and preserve their top-flight status due to a superior head-to-head record over Eibar.

Only six minutes elapsed before the newly-crowned La Liga champions moved ahead on their coronation, having wrapped up the title with a 1-0 win at Atletico Madrid last weekend.

Rafinha justified his inclusion in the first XI by clipping a wonderful cross for Lionel Messi to nod a rare header past Fabricio.

The Catalans were celebrating again shortly after, but Messi's second was ruled out for offside in a setback that did little to dampen the hosts' spirit.

Rafinha justified his inclusion in the first XI by clipping a wonderful cross for Messi to nod past Fabricio with a rare header.

The Catalans were celebrating again shortly after, but the Argentine's second was ruled out for offside in a setback that did little to dampen their spirit.

The relentless attacking continued and Deportivo have Fabricio to thank for keeping them in the game, as the Spaniard denied Messi and then Pedro from the rebound as the visitors survived without further damage before the break.

With finals in the Copa del Rey and Champions League on the horizon, Barca's tempo dropped considerably as Luis Enrique's side slowed down in their approach.

However, Messi seemed to consign Deportivo to the drop on 59 minutes, tapping home from close range after Neymar's unselfish pass.

Perez threw Deportivo the slimmest of lifelines by swivelling on the edge of the area and placing a fine effort beyond the reach of league debutant Jordi Masip on 67 minutes.

Haris Medunjanin came within millimetres of grabbing the point needed to retain his side's Liga status, but his effort rattled off the crossbar.

Their patience paid off, however, when Salomao hammered into the far corner past Masip, after Medunjanin's free kick was blocked, to bring the Turks back from the dead and keep them in the division.

amp_article__224474 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2015-05-24 20:36:42:
html db last update - 2021-03-05 20:54:22 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html
Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Real Madrid29226164204472
2Barcelona29197360342664
3GironaGirona29195559342562
4Athletic Bilbao29168550262456
5Atletico MadridAtletico29174854342055
6Real Sociedad291210742311146
7Real BetisBetis29101273433142
8Valencia28117103232040
9Villarreal29108114751-438
10Getafe2991193742-538
11Las PalmasLas Palmas29107122932-337
12Osasuna29106133343-1036
13AlavesAlaves2988132635-932
14Mallorca29612112535-1030
15Rayo Vallecano29611122538-1329
16Sevilla29610133644-828
17Celta Vigo2969143244-1227
18CadizCadiz29313132040-2022
19Granada2828183058-2814
20Almeria29110182857-2913
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .