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Attendance: 67,194
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La Liga
Dec 12, 2015 at 3pm UK
 

2-2

Messi (39'), Rakitic (62')
FT(HT: 1-0)
Perez (77'), Bergantinos (86')

Barcelona throw away two-goal lead to draw with Deportivo

Barcelona drop crucial points at the top of La Liga by letting a 2-0 lead slip to draw with Deportivo La Coruna at Camp Nou.

Deportivo La Coruna have scored twice in the final 13 minutes to snatch an unlikely draw against Barcelona in the La Liga clash at Camp Nou.

A much-changed Barca failed to win for the first time in seven games with a 1-1 draw at Bayer Leverkusen in midweek, but with Luis Enrique reverting to his first-choice side, the hosts unsurprisingly dominated the early stages.

Deportivo de la Coruna's players celebrate a goal during the Spanish league football match FC Barcelona vs Deportivo de La Coruna at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on December 12, 2015© Getty Images

Even without the injured Neymar, Barca were incisive in the Deportivo half, and top scorer Luis Suarez should have opened the scoring after just five minutes when he somehow sliced wide from close range after Sandro Ramirez nodded Lionel Messi's deep ball into the box across goal.

The hosts had found their groove, but they could not convert their early chances as Andres Iniesta just missed another fine pass from Messi before German Lux saved well from Messi's free kick.

Jonathan Rodriguez was denied by Claudio Bravo in a rare chance for Depor, but Suarez again should have netted the opener when he got his header all wrong from a corner after Lux had denied Messi.

FC Barcelona's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi celebrates a goal during the Spanish league football match FC Barcelona vs RC Deportivo La Coruna at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on December 12, 2015© Getty Images

Six minutes before the break the home side's dominance was finally rewarded when they were given another free kick in a dangerous position, and this time Messi whipped a fine dipping effort past Lux from 20 yards.

Suarez hit a half-volley wide from Rakitic's cross as the leaders pressed for a second before the break, but the visitors wasted a rare chance to equalise shortly after the restart when substitute Juan Dominguez exchanged passes with Lucas Perez but could only shoot straight at Bravo.

Suarez's personal frustration continued 10 minutes into the second half when he thought that he had doubled the lead with a cool finish before seeing his effort ruled out for offside, but his side did extend their advantage as Rakitic drilled through a crowd of players from the edge of the box.

A scuffed finish let Suarez down in front of goal as Barca pushed to kill the game off, but after Lucas Perez's rebound was ruled out for offside when Dominguez's shot hit the bar, they pulled a goal back when Perez dinked past Bravo.

Deportivo de la Coruna's players celebrate a goal during the Spanish league football match FC Barcelona vs Deportivo de La Coruna at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on December 12, 2015© Getty Images

That goal gave the visitors hope of an unlikely point, and they completed the shock late comeback with four minutes to go when Sergio Busquets gave the ball away cheaply in his own half and Perez slid in Alex Bergantinos to drill home an equaliser.

Another sloppy piece of play from Busquets nearly handed Depor a stunning winner in injury time when when Miguel Cardoso could only fire into the side-netting, but they held out for a point as Barca dropped two crucial points at the top of La Liga.

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Tom Nightingale
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Karim Benzema of Real Madrid celebrates after scoring his team's opening goal during the La Liga match between Real Madrid CF and Getafe CF at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on December 5, 2015
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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Atletico MadridAtletico18125133122141
2Real Madrid18124241182340
3Barcelona19122551222938
4Athletic Bilbao19106329171236
5Villarreal188643430430
6Mallorca199371921-230
7Real Sociedad187471613325
8GironaGirona187472625125
9Real BetisBetis186752122-125
10Osasuna186752327-425
11Celta Vigo187382728-124
12Rayo Vallecano185762021-122
13Las PalmasLas Palmas186482327-422
14Sevilla186482027-722
15Leganes184681728-1118
16AlavesAlaves184592130-917
17Getafe183781115-416
18Espanyol1843111630-1415
19Valencia172691626-1012
20Real ValladolidValladolid1833121237-2512


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