10-man Barcelona concedes two late goals in draw at Celta Vigo

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Celta Vigo gave 10-man Barcelona a shock by scoring two late goals and snatching a 2-2 draw at home in the Spanish league on Saturday.

Barcelona was minutes away from a win to pad its league lead after Raphinha and Lewandowski had put Barcelona ahead.

But the game dramatically swung after Barcelona defensive midfielder Marc Casadó was sent off with a second booking in the 81st. Moments later Jules Koundé’s poor control of a ball in his area allowed Alfon González to pick his pocket and give the hosts hope in the 84th minute.

Celta poured forward at Balaidos Stadium and Hugo Álvarez rifled in the 86th-minute equalizer with Barcelona unable to mark the extra man.

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick, however, said that he saw it coming since his team had never been able to establish its passing game and was making mistakes even when up 2-0.

“It was not only the 10 last minutes, it was the whole match. We played today a really bad game,” Flick said. “The passing game for us was bad. We made a lot of mistakes and at the end we had no confidence with the ball.”

This was Barcelona's second straight stumble since Lamine Yamal was sidelined with a right-ankle injury. Barcelona lost 1-0 at Real Sociedad without Yamal before the international break.

Barcelona is seven points ahead of third-place Real Madrid, which has played two fewer games.

Koundé accepted the blame for what he called his “gross mistake” that helped give Celta hope.

“We didn’t do what we needed to all game, and at the end they made us pay,” Koundé said. “It starts with me. I can’t lose my focus like that. It was a gross mistake that can’t happen. I accept that it was my fault.”

The late rally by Celta came after Raphinha had led Barcelona as he filled in for Yamal on the right side of the front three.

Raphinha opened the scoring in the 15th when he ran onto a long pass by Koundé that bounced over left back Óscar Mingueza, cut back to his left foot and fired home.

Lewandowski doubled the lead in the 61st after Raphinha intercepted a pass by Minqueza and set up his strike partner. The Poland striker scrambled the ball past two defenders before slotting beyond Vicente Guaita.

Lewandowski took his league-leading tally to 15 goals in 14 rounds, while Raphinha has added eight league goals.

Raphinha came close to a second goal that would have made it 3-0 when he hit the post in the 77th, just moments before the wild final stretch when it all crumbled for the visitors.

“We have to learn from this. This can’t happen just because we had a player sent off. But onto the next game,” said Gavi Páez, who started his first match since returning from a serious leg injury last season.

Antoine Griezmann converted a late penalty to equalize and Alexander Sorloth struck an 86th-minute winner to give Atletico Madrid a 2-1 win at home over Alaves.

The comeback victory lifted Atletico into second place — five points behind Barcelona.

Coach Diego Simeone showed his sensitive side after the match when he choked up when speaking about this love for the team he has coached for nearly 13 years.

Valencia played its first home game since last month’s devastating floods that killed over 200 people in eastern Spain.

The club honored the victims before kickoff when several fans were seen to cry during the ceremony.

Hugo Duro led the 4-2 win over Real Betis by scoring a double.

Girona routed Espanyol 4-1 in a Catalan regional derby with Bojan Miovski’s first two goals since joining the club.

Mallorca forward Johan Mojica scored off a set piece from a free kick inside Las Palmas' area to complete a 3-2 win for the visitors in injury time.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Barcelona's Marc Casado leaves the pitch after received a red card during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Celta Vigo and Barcelona at the Balaidos stadium in Vigo, Spain, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Lalo R. Villar)

Barcelona's Pau Cubarsi reacts after Celta's Hugo Alvarez scored during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Celta Vigo and Barcelona at the Balaidos stadium in Vigo, Spain, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Lalo R. Villar)

Celta's Carl Starfelt, left, greets Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski, center, past Fermin Lopez after the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Celta Vigo and Barcelona at the Balaidos stadium in Vigo, Spain, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Lalo R. Villar)

Barcelona's head coach Hansi Flick, back, gestures during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Celta Vigo and Barcelona at the Balaidos stadium in Vigo, Spain, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Lalo R. Villar)

Barcelona's Fermin Lopez reacts at the end of the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Celta Vigo and Barcelona at the Balaidos stadium in Vigo, Spain, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Lalo R. Villar)

Celta's players greets fans after the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Celta Vigo and Barcelona at the Balaidos stadium in Vigo, Spain, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Lalo R. Villar)

Celta's Alfon, right, is challenged by Barcelona's Jules Kounde during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Celta Vigo and Barcelona at the Balaidos stadium in Vigo, Spain, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Lalo R. Villar)

Barcelona's Raphinha reacts after the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Celta Vigo and Barcelona at the Balaidos stadium in Vigo, Spain, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Lalo R. Villar)

Celta's Javi Rodriguez, left, and Barcelona's Dani Olmo fight for the ball during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Celta Vigo and Barcelona at the Balaidos stadium in Vigo, Spain, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Lalo R. Villar)

Barcelona's Raphinha celebrates scoring his side's opening goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Celta Vigo and Barcelona at the Balaidos stadium in Vigo, Spain, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Lalo R. Villar)

Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski scores his side's 2nd goal challenged by Celta's Carl Starfelt during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Celta Vigo and Barcelona at the Balaidos stadium in Vigo, Spain, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Lalo R. Villar)

Barcelona's Jules Kounde, front, goes for the ball during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Celta Vigo and Barcelona at the Balaidos stadium in Vigo, Spain, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Lalo R. Villar)

Celta's head coach Claudio Giraldez gestures during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Celta Vigo and Barcelona at the Balaidos stadium in Vigo, Spain, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Lalo R. Villar)

Celta's Alfon (12) scores his side's first goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Celta Vigo and Barcelona at the Balaidos stadium in Vigo, Spain, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Lalo R. Villar)

Celta's Hugo Alvarez, right, celebrates scoring his side's 2nd goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Celta Vigo and Barcelona at the Balaidos stadium in Vigo, Spain, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Lalo R. Villar)

TURIN, Italy (AP) — New Zealand dominated Italy everywhere except the scoreboard in a tour-ending 29-11 win in autumn rugby on Saturday.

The All Blacks wanted to sign off 2024 in style and send off departing stalwarts Sam Cane and TJ Perenara with a flourish after five weeks in Yokohama, London, Dublin, Paris and Turin.

But Italy, humiliated by the All Blacks 96-17 last year at the Rugby World Cup, gave a passionate, committed effort to restrict New Zealand to its lowest score in this matchup in 15 years.

New Zealand was held to 17-6 until the last 10 minutes when it conjured tries for backs Mark Tele'a and Beauden Barrett while Italy was down to 14 men.

But those tries were split by Italy's one and only try, to Tommaso Menoncello served up by his center partner Juan Ignacio Brex.

New Zealand carried for more than twice as many meters, beat 31 defenders, but suffered from 18 handling errors, only one more than Italy.

Italy saved its best for last this autumn after being thrashed by Argentina and struggling past Georgia.

The Italians, privileged to play the first non-football match in a sold-out Juventus Stadium, were on it from the outset, and Paolo Garbisi and Beauden Barrett traded penalties.

Moments after All Blacks captain Scott Barrett was sin-binned for a dangerous clearout, scrumhalf Cam Roigard snuck through the middle of Italy's ruck defense for the first try in the 24th minute.

Monty Ioane typified Italy's defense when he made a try-saving tackle on Will Jordan from behind, got up, and made another try-saver on Wallace Sititi, forcing a forward pass.

But Jordan typified the All Blacks' class, as Italy ran out of defenders and his 38th try in 41 tests passed Jonah Lomu on their all-time try-scoring list.

After the All Blacks survived Italy's siege of their try-line after halftime — though repeated fouls saw center Anton Lienert-Brown sin-binned — Italy then repelled 16 phases by New Zealand at the expense of replacement prop Simone Ferrari's yellow card for too many fouls, too.

Ferrari helped the All Blacks, but they also got a lift from their bench, notably from Perenara, who had led his last All Blacks haka. As he came on, fellow World Cup winner Cane departed to wide applause after his 104th and last test.

Italy's defense led by No. 8 Ross Vintcent with 21 tackles and Menoncello's 14 continued to swarm while a man down, but the All Blacks ruthlessly exploited the advantage to give the scoreline a flattering look.

AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby

New Zealand perform the haka head of the Autumn Nations Series rugby union match between Italy and the All Blacks at the Allianz stadium, in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

New Zealand's Will Jordan, left, and Italy's Ange Capuozzo compete for the ball during the Autumn Nations Series rugby union match between Italy and the All Blacks at the Allianz stadium, in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

New Zealand's Mark Tele'a makes a break during the Autumn Nations Series rugby union match between Italy and the All Blacks at the Allianz stadium, in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

New Zealand's Caleb Clarke runs at the defence during the Autumn Nations Series rugby union match between Italy and the All Blacks at the Allianz stadium, in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

New Zealand's Will Jordan is tackled by Italy's Monty Ioane during the Autumn Nations Series rugby union match between Italy and the All Blacks at the Allianz stadium, in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)