Christensen returned to Hansi Flick’s squad after 143 days sidelined with a knee ligament injury, but Barcelona still fell 1-0 away to Alavés at the Mendizorrotza on Wednesday night — a defeat that ended the club’s quest for 100 points in the La Liga season.
The scoreline was the smallest of margins but the biggest of consequences: Alavés 1, Barcelona 0. Barcelona made several changes and fielded a lot of reserves; their attack never found traction, and they conceded what observers called a poor goal just before halftime. In the second half the score did not change and the match finished with Alavés leading 1-0. Late in the match the fourth official signalled three minutes of added time.
Flick had named a 23-player squad for the fixture that included the returning Christensen, who had been out since suffering a knee ligament injury on 21 December 2025 and was back in the squad for the first time in 143 days. The manager was also without Raphinha, who was suspended, while Lamine Yamal was injured and unavailable. João Cancelo picked up a yellow card for a bad foul during the game.
Context makes the result sharper. Barcelona arrived at Mendizorrotza as league champions and in pursuit of a milestone 100-point total for the campaign. The match was one of the final fixtures that could have pushed them to that mark; instead the defeat mathematically ended that chase. The selection choices — a trimmed, rotated side with reserves pressed into service — are now central to how the result is read.
The friction is plain. Christensen’s return should have been a stabilising boost, yet the side conceded a sloppy goal before the break and could not manufacture an equaliser. Flick’s decision to call up 23 players and rely on changes collided with the reality that key attacking options were absent: a suspension for Raphinha and an injury to Yamal left the bench and front line lighter than usual. The yellow card for João Cancelo added to a day when moments, not margins, decided the match.
For Barcelona, the immediate line is straightforward: a rotated, reserve-heavy approach did not preserve the unbeaten momentum required to reach 100 points. For Christensen, who returned after a long layoff only to watch his side drop the result at Mendizorrotza, the night will register as personal relief tempered by collective disappointment. The defeat forces a choice ahead of the remaining fixtures — whether to restore regular starters, ride the reserves again, or reshuffle the squad plan — and that decision will define how the champions finish their season.
