Barcelona boss Hansi Flick said he still believes in his players despite extending their windless LaLiga run to three matches with defeat to Las Palmas on Saturday.
Raphinha's 61st minute strike had cancelled out Sandro Ramirez, only for Fabio Silva to restore Las Palmas' advantage six minutes later to seal the win.
The result opened the door for Barcelona's rivals Real Madrid to close the gap against Getafe on Sunday, finding themselves four points behind with two games in hand.
But Flick's side had enough chances to earn a victory on their 125th anniversary celebrations, ending the contest with an expected goals (xG) of 2.32 to Las Palmas' 0.5.
Barca mustered 28 shots, though only seven were on target, compared to their opponents' five attempts on Inaki Pena's goal, with Flick acknowledging that his side are disjointed at each end of the pitch.
"I don't think there is a lack of confidence in the players. Players alone can't win games. It's always about the team. We need to have good connections in defence and in attack, and today we didn't have them," Flick told reporters.
"I believe in the players. I have confidence in them, but things are as they are. When I started here, I told them there would be no excuses.
"It's normal that some players, when they come back from injury, are not at the highest level. But if we play as a team, we should be able to beat any team, but if some players are disconnected, it doesn't go well."
Barcelona do not return to the Camp Nou until 15th December against Leganes, with away games at Mallorca and Real Betis in LaLiga followed by Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League to come.
"We have to accept the slump, now another month starts. The team has the quality," Flick said. "Today it was not possible. In front of goal we were not able to score."
Raphinha, who netted the equaliser, was one of Barca's biggest threats, having registered more shots on target (three) and creating more chances (five) than any of his team-mates.
The Brazilian also struck the crossbar and had a free-kick brilliantly tipped over the bar by Jasper Cillessen, but knows his side must return to winning ways if they are to challenge for the title.
"We were bad in the game. We have to look at what we are doing wrong to try to improve and win the games," he said.
"We have dropped the level of what we were doing and this is making games more difficult for us.
"I don't care about the goal, I care about the victory. We didn't win, and I'm not satisfied with the match. Am I angry? Yes."
Glenmuir reign again: May Pen school first to cop back-to-back Champions Cup with a 3-1 triumph over JC
Glenmuir High produced yet another commanding performance to retain the ISSA/Wata Champions Cup with a 3-1 victory over Jamaica College (JC) in an enthralling final at the National Stadium on Saturday.
Led by O’Neil Headly’s brace in the 14th and 53rd minutes and a late clincher from Nyron Allen (90+1), Glenmuir stamped their authority to lift their second Champions Cup title, joining Jamaica College and Kingston College with two titles apiece.
Amarlie King (32nd) got Jamaica College’s consolation.
It is fitting that Glenmuir secured the first title of the season, as it reflects their scintillating form and aspirations for a historic triple crown. They remain in contention for the prestigious daCosta Cup and possibly the Olivier Shield, as the work done by Head coach Andrew Peart and team is showcased in their potential to dominate the schoolboy football season.
“It is a special feeling for us, but it also comes with mixed reactions because while we have won this title, we are thinking about Wednesday [the daCosta Cup semi-final] based on the tight schedule that we have. But it doesn’t dampen what the boys have achieved I think the game was a tough one and at the start we had a little bit of challenge against [Jabari] Howell but once we placed Dusting Cohen against him, we were able to manage the game better,” Peart said in a post-game interview.
For Jamaica College’s Head coach, Davion Ferguson, the defeat marks a tough end to their Champions Cup journey, but they remain contenders for the more prestigious Manning Cup.
“Not the result we wanted, but congratulations to Glenmuir, but we move because we have another game on Tuesday, and so we turn our focus to that one. Once we get these boys rested and recovered, we should be good,” Ferguson noted.
Both teams displayed high energy at the start, but Glenmuir quickly established their superiority by exploiting the flanks with speed and precision. In the 4th minute, Orane Watson’s cross found Orel Miller, but his header sailed over the crossbar.
Glenmuir again went close in the 11th minute when Miller floated in a teasing cross from the left side, but Brandon Wallace failed to connect at the far post.
Headly inevitably opened the scoring for Glenmuir with a spectacular left-footed free kick from a sharp angle. His strike left Jamaica College’s goalkeeper Adriano Kitson rooted to the spot and set the tone for Glenmuir’s offensive brilliance.
Glenmuir nearly doubled their lead in the 17th minute when Wallace’s header off a corner was blocked on the line.
Though under pressure, Jamaica College were determined and responded when King capitalized on a defensive lapse, tucking in a close-range effort after Glenmuir failed to clear Nashordo Gibbs' dangerous pass across the box.
With the game level at halftime, Jamaica College’s fans inside the Grandstand would have harboured hopes of closing out the contest in the second half, but Glenmuir had other ideas.
The May Pen, Clarendon-based team pushed ahead as Headly’s fiercely-struck left-footed freekick from just outside the arc sliced through Jamaica College’s five-man wall and zipped past Kitson.
From there, Glenmuir continued to apply consistent pressure as Jamaica College had very little response in the attacking third. Orane Watson went on a break in the 55th minute, but the effort he released ahead of the advancing Kitson went wide.
Down but not out, Jamaica College again showed life in attack with a few threatening moments.
In the 67th, Javaun Mills’ header was kept out by Justin Murray in goal for Glenmuir, and a minute later the custodian again came up big to deny Jamoy Dennis, who unleased a shot from a distance.
Jamaica College’s best chance at the elusive equaliser came in the 88th minute when Murray spilled the ball, but Mills squandered the point-blank opportunity.
Allen then threw salt on the already wounded Old Hope Road-based team when he fired home from Cohen’s pass to ensure Glenmuir finished with a flourish in time added.
Kompany: Kane to have scan ahead of DFB-Pokal clash with Leverkusen
Vincent Kompany is sweating over the fitness of Harry Kane, who sustained a muscle injury, ahead of their DFB-Pokal tie with Bayer Leverkusen.
The striker went down in the 33rd minute of their 1-1 draw with Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, and limped off while his side were 1-0 down thanks to a Jamie Gitttens solo goal.
Bayern squandered several good chances in the second half as they struggled with their finishing before Jamal Musiala rescued a point for the league leaders in the 85th minute to extend their unbeaten run.
"Harry's feeling is that it may not be something too serious," Kompany told a press conference. "But we will have to wait. He will have to do a scan and then we will know more.
"But obviously it will be tight for Tuesday. I don't know many players who can recover that quickly."
Bayern, who before Saturday had won their previous seven matches across all competitions without conceding a single goal, host Leverkusen in the DFB-Pokal round-of-16 on Tuesday.
They could have to face it without Kane though, who has scored 20 goals in all competitions this campaign, including a hat-trick against Augsburg last weekend.
"Harry's goals are very hard to replace, but we have said from the start that we trust our squad," he added.
"You cannot replace players of his quality with another place, but the boys can do it together."
Bayern looked to be heading to their first league loss of the campaign without Kane's punch up front before Musiala's late equaliser.
They have now scored in each of their last 19 games in the Bundesliga, their longest such run in the competition since a run of 43 between September 2022 and January 2024.
"We don't start a game without wanting the three points, but today we did not get the three points. That is the reality," Kompany said.
"We were a goal down so we showed character. We levelled and then kept on pushing and that showed that we have this belief. No successful team can go through a season without such moments."
Atletico Mineiro 1-3 Botafogo: Santos secures history-making maiden Copa Libertadores title
Ten-man Botafogo made history as they won the Copa Libertadores for the first time with a 3-1 victory over Atletico Mineiro in Buenos Aires.
The Brazilian Serie A leaders had to do things the hard way after a second-minute red card but stood their ground to hold off Atletico's attempts at a comeback.
There were just 29 seconds on the clock when Gregore caught Fausto Vera on the head with a high boot, with the red card brandished after 65 seconds.
Atletico failed to take their chances despite the numerical advantage and soon found themselves on the back foot as Luiz Henrique fired in the rebound of Thiago Almada's blocked shot.
Luiz Henrique then won a penalty nine minutes later when the goalkeeper wiped him out, and Alex Telles confidently dispatched from 12 yards.
Eduardo Vargas pulled one back just two minutes into the second half, rising to nod in Hulk's corner, but despite their dominance, they could not find a second goal.
Atletico flooded bodies forward in search of an equaliser late on but were caught out at the other end in the final minute of stoppage time, as Junior Santos slotted in from close range to secure the trophy.
Data Debrief: History makers
It was the fourth all-Brazilian final in the Copa Libertadores in the last five years, and it did not disappoint, with dramatic twists and turns from the first minute to the last.
While it was already guaranteed that a side from Brazil would lift the trophy for a sixth consecutive year - something never done before - Botafogo have etched their name into history with the win.
Another name that went into the history books was Gregore, who received the fastest red card in a final in the competition's history, surpassing Ruben Sune and Roberto Paredes (both two minutes).
Junior Santos finished as top scorer in the competition (10 goals), though his last-minute strike on Saturday was his first in the competition since the group stage.
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