Ten-man Barca snatch La Liga Girona draw
Barcelona's 100 percent winning start to the season has come to a halt when they were held to a 2-2 La Liga draw by Girona, having been reduced to 10 men for the final 55 minutes.
The result took Barca to 13 points after five games and back above Real Madrid at the top of the table, on goal difference.
Sevilla resoundingly thrashed hosts Levante 6-2 away, Real Betis battled back to draw 2-2 at home to Athletic Bilbao while Valencia are still without a win after being held to a goalless draw at Villarreal.
Lionel Messi - who set a record for the most Spanish league appearances by a non-Spaniard, moving ahead of former teammate Dani Alves of Brazil in his 423nd game - gave the champions the lead in the 19th minute.
Barca's strong start was derailed when defender Clement Lenglet was sent off 35 minutes into his first league start for the club after an apparent elbow on Pere Pons, a decision made after referee Jesus Gil Manzano consulted the video assistant referee (VAR).
Girona took advantage of the situation right before the interval when Cristhian Stuani scored.
"The sending-off conditioned the game a lot and we had the bad luck to concede right at the end of the first half, it affected us a lot and we couldn't turn it around," Barca coach Ernesto Valverde said.
"It's the first sending-off where I've seen the player who received the foul apologised.
"I suppose VAR will do it justice but I have the sensation it wasn't a sending-off; there may have been an impact but I don't think it was aggressive at all. It's a foul by the opponent."
Uruguayan striker Stuani scored again in the 51st to give Girona an unlikely lead.
Messi sent a free kick crashing against the crossbar before Pique headed in the leveller in the 63rd minute.
Sevilla's French forward Wissam Ben Yedder scored a hat-trick in the drubbing of Levante.
Valencia captain Dani Parejo and coach Marcelino were both sent off in an ill-tempered stalemate at neighbours Villarreal.
"We may not have won a game yet but the group is strong and mentally we are fine," Valencia assistant coach Ruben Uria said.
Marc Bartra and Sergio Canales grabbed the goals for Betis in their superb revival against Bilbao at the Benito Villamarin.
Inaki Williams and Raul Garcia sent the Basques two clear by the 18th minute but Markel Susaeta was sent off for a second yellow card just before the break.
