VITORIA-GASTEIZ, Spain (Interstat) — Ibrahim Diabaté’s stoppage-time goal in first-half added time lifted Deportivo Alaves to a 1-0 victory over Barcelona on Wednesday in a La Liga season opener at Estadio de Mendizorroza.

The goal came in the first minute of added time before halftime, with Diabaté finishing a sequence that began with a cross from Abderrahman Rebbach. The forward beat Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen from close range, sending the home crowd into celebration. It was the only score of the match and handed Barcelona a defeat in its first competitive fixture of the 2026-27 campaign.

Barcelona, despite controlling a majority of possession and creating several half-chances, could not find the equalizer. The visitors pressed forward in the second half but were repeatedly repelled by a compact Alaves defense that packed the penalty area and cleared danger. Diabaté’s goal proved decisive as Alaves absorbed pressure and managed the game’s tempo after the break.

The match’s first caution came immediately after the goal, with Barcelona substitute Marcus Rashford booked in the 46th minute for a late challenge. Rebbach received a yellow card in the 81st minute for a tactical foul as he attempted to break up a Barcelona counterattack. João Cancelo, another Barcelona substitute, was cautioned in the 89th minute for a frustrated tackle near midfield as time wound down.

Barcelona, which entered the match without injured midfielders Pedri and Frenkie de Jong, struggled to link play between its forward line and midfield. The Catalan side’s best chance came in the 67th minute when Robert Lewandowski’s header from a corner kick struck the crossbar, and the rebound was cleared off the line by Alaves defender Abdel Abqar. Barcelona manager Hansi Flick made three second-half substitutions, including Rashford and Cancelo, in an attempt to inject width into the attack, but Alaves goalkeeper Antonio Sivera was rarely forced into a difficult save.

Deportivo Alaves, which finished 10th in La Liga last season, played a disciplined defensive game under manager Luis García Plaza. The home team banked numbers behind the ball and looked to hit on the counterattack. Rebbach’s assist on the goal was the most dangerous moment Alaves created in the attacking third. The winger also drew several fouls in the second half to relieve pressure and eat up clock.

The loss dropped Barcelona to 0-1 in both La Liga play and across all competitions, while Alaves improved to 1-0 in league action and overall. Barcelona had not lost its opening match of a La Liga season since a 1-0 defeat to Athletic Bilbao in 2021.

Wednesday’s result was a sharp reversal of pre-match projections. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Barcelona 3, Deportivo Alaves 1. Interstat’s ELO system had given Barcelona a 97.10 percent probability to win the match. The statistical model had forecast dominant possession and multiple goals for the visitors, but Alaves’ compact shape and a single moment of quality from Diabaté overturned those expectations.

Diabaté, a 24-year-old forward who joined Alaves in the offseason, scored in his official debut for the club. His goal was the first of the new La Liga season and gave Alaves an early statement victory. For Barcelona, the defeat raised immediate questions about the team’s cohesion in attack, particularly in the absence of key playmakers. The Catalan side will next face Rayo Vallecano at home on Saturday.

Alaves will travel to Sevilla for its second match, looking to build on the defensive solidity it displayed against one of the league’s traditional powers. The Basque club’s supporters left the stadium celebrating a result that few expected, and one that instantly reshaped the early narrative of the 2026-27 La Liga campaign.