An unfancied Levante shattered Barcelona’s dream of becoming unbeaten champions of La Liga in a thrilling goal fest on Sunday. Playing their penultimate game of the league, the already crowned Catalan giants suffered a shock 4-5 defeat at Levante.

Emmanuel Boateng netted a hat-trick while Enis Bardhi scored a brace as the home side took an almost unassailable lead against Lionel Messi-less visitors after the 56th minute. Philippe Coutinho, who scored the opening goal for Barca in the first half went on to find the net twice later to accomplish a hat-trick in the roller-coaster game. Luis Suarez’s penalty in the 71st minute took the game down to the wire.

Ernesto Valverde’s boys pressed for the equalizer in order to retain their invincibility in the La Liga season intact but a gritty Levante, who are 15th in the league table, held on to their wafer-thin lead till the final whistle was blown. The shock defeat was Barca’s first La Liga defeat in 44 games.

Barcelona were gunning to become the first club in La Liga history to finish an entire Spanish top flight season unbeaten for the first time since the 1930s, when there were only 18 games in a season.

With the league and cup double already wrapped up and the chase for invincibility receiving an unaccomplished end, Barca will play for pride in next Sunday's season finale against Real Sociedad. The match will also mark the farewell of the Catalan club’s departing captain Andres Iniesta, who has already announced his decision to leave the club at the end of this season.