Levante 2-3 Barcelona: Luuk De Jong scores winner as Barca go second

Luuk de Jong scored an injury time winner as Barcelona gave away three penalties and still beat Levante in an epic five-goal thriller.

Xavi’s side made it 15 games unbeaten and moved second with the late late winner.

Relegation-haunted Levante are not going down into the second tier without an almighty fight and they rattled Europe’s most on-form side from first kick to last.

Pierre Emerick Aubameyang had got Barcelona back on terms with his 10th goal in 14 games for Barcelona after Jose Luis Morales had scored the opener from the spot.

Pedri fired them 2-1 up from the edge of the area but Gonzalo Melero equalized late on with Levante’s third penalty. Roger Marti had missed their second. It seemed the strugglers would get a deserved point but from Jordi Alba’s cross, substitute Luuk de Jong headed in the winner on 92 minutes.

Levante were brilliant in the first half but couldn’t make any of their chances count. The best came midway through the first period when Morales went on a mazy run right at the heart of the Barcelona defence that saw him drift past Ronald Araujo and Alba. Marc Andre ter Stegen got an outstretched boot and hand to the Levante forward’s shot and as it spun on the goal-line it was Eric Garcia who was on hand to hook it away to safety.

Marti was next to go close with Jorge Miramon making a good run down the right and crossing to the near post. Araujo got infront of the striker to block his shot.

Levante: Cardenas; Miramon, Rober, Postigo, Vezo (Cantero 76), Son; Radoja (Bardhi 76), Pepelu, Campana (Melero 65); Marti (Gomez 65), Morales (Pubill 90)

Subs: Fernandez, Coke, Malsa, Soldado, Duarte, Vukcevic, Saracchi 

Goals: Morales 52 (pen.), Melero 83 (pen.)

Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Alves (Lenglet 81),