By David Awopetu
Iago Aspas’ late equaliser for Celta Vigo dented Barcelona’s title hopes.
The Blaugrana drew 2-2 at Celta on Saturday, meaning their title rivals Real Madrid can go two points clear by beating Espanyol on Sunday night.
Luis Suarez headed Barca in front from Lionel Messi’s brilliantly taken free-kick but Fedor Smolov levelled from Okay Yokuslu’s pass.
Suarez then swivelled and smashed in a great strike – from another Messi pass – but his former Liverpool teammate, Aspas’ perfect low free-kick rescued Celta.
The hosts should have won the game deep into injury time but Nolito’s close-range shot was straight at Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Messi, who has not scored in three games, is still on 699 career goals for Barca and Argentina. But he did manage the 250th assist of his Barca career for Suarez’s second.
The 33-year-old is the top goalscorer with 21 and top assister with 17 in La Liga this season.
All is not lost, of course. Real still have to go to Athletic Club before the end of the season.
But it’s difficult at this point to see Barca winning all of their remaining games, not least because a resurgent Atletico Madrid will visit Camp Nou on Tuesday night.
The Blaugrana may be top of La Liga right now but it’d be hard to find anyone now who thinks they’ll still be there at the end of the season.
