Barcelona's Sergi Roberto, centre, drives the ball past Deportivo's Raul Albentosa during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Deportivo and Barcelona at the Riazor stadium in A Coruna, Spain, Sunday, March 12, 2017. (AP Photo/Paulo Duarte)

MADRID:  Barcelona lost 2-1 at relegation-threatened Deportivo La Coruna yesterday in its first match after its amazing win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, giving Real Madrid a chance to retake the Spanish league lead.

Without some of the starters from the 6-1 victory on Wednesday, Barcelona lacked the same intensity that it had at the Camp Nou as its 19-game unbeaten streak in the league ended. Defending champion Barcelona stayed on 60 points, one ahead of Madrid, which hosts Real Betis later.

Deportivo, which moved further from the relegation zone with victory at the Riazor Stadium, scored once in each half off corner kicks. Luis Suarez netted Barcelona’s lone goal, and Lionel Messi missed one of the team’s best chances to salvage a draw when his free kick in stoppage time sailed over the crossbar.

The game came four days after Barcelona scored three times in the final minutes to reverse the 4-0 first-leg loss to PSG in the Round of 16 of the Champions League.

Coach Luis Enrique didn’t start Rafinha, Samuel Umtiti and Neymar, who was decisive on Wednesday with two goals and two assists. Andres Iniesta and Ivan Rakitic only entered Sunday’s match in the second half.

Sergi Roberto, who scored the clincher against PSG in the fifth minute of stoppage time, played from the start in La Coruna. Andre Gomes, Denis Suarez and Arda Turan also got a chance to play.

Striker Joselu opened the scoring for Deportivo in the 40th minute with a close-range shot after Barcelona defender Javier Mascherano failed to clear a loose ball inside the area after a corner.  Joselu had missed a chance just seconds earlier on a shot that required a remarkable save by goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Suarez equalized less than a minute into the second half with a right-foot strike after Gomes’ attempt was blocked. But the hosts went ahead again in the 74th with a firm header by midfielder Alex Bergantinos off another corner. The goal came just moments after another great save by Ter Stegen to a header by Alejandro Arribas. Deportivo, which had won only one of its last 10 matches, moved to 15th place with 27 points, eight clear of the relegation zone.

REAL SOCIEDAD 0, ATHLETIC BILBAO 2

Real Sociedad’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League took a hit after a home loss to Athletic Bilbao in the Basque derby.

Real Sociedad needed a victory at its Anoeta Stadium to stay within one point of fourth-placed Atletico Madrid, the first team in the qualifying zone for next season’s European competition.

Seventh-placed Athletic got on the board with a 28th-minute penalty kick converted by Raul Garcia and added to the lead with Inaki Williams in the 56th after a mistake by defender Alvaro Odriozola. His pass back to a teammate came up short and was intercepted by Williams.

The hosts had a goal disallowed in the 70th after a foul was called on the attack. It was Real Sociedad’s third-straight game without a win at Anoeta. – AP