Barcelona closed the gap on La Liga leaders Real Madrid to four points with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Alaves, thanks to Robert Lewandowski's second-half goal. The Catalans capitalized on Real Madrid's unexpected slip-up against Espanyol, keeping their hopes of catching the leaders alive.
Barcelona secured a vital 1-0 victory over Alaves on Sunday, thanks to a second-half strike from Robert Lewandowski . This win narrowed the gap between Barcelona and La Liga leaders Real Madrid to four points. The Catalans capitalized on Real Madrid 's unexpected slip-up against Espanyol the previous day. Barcelona currently sits in third place, trailing second-placed Atletico Madrid by three points.
With Atletico facing Real Madrid in a crucial derby clash next weekend, Barcelona has an opportunity to close the gap further. Lewandowski's goal, a poacher's finish from close range after Lamine Yamal's cross, came in the 61st minute and proved to be the difference between the two sides. Despite dominating possession, Barcelona struggled to create clear-cut chances in the first half, with Alaves defending resolutely. The game saw a few moments of concern, including a head collision between Barcelona's Gavi and Alaves' Tomas Conechny. Thankfully, both players were able to continue after receiving treatment. Barca coach Hansi Flick made tactical changes at halftime, introducing Frenkie de Jong and Eric Garcia to add more pace and dynamism to the midfield. These substitutions seemed to pay off, as Barcelona looked more threatening in the second half. Although Barcelona couldn't add another goal, Alaves failed to create any significant scoring opportunities. Flick acknowledged the importance of the win and the challenges posed by defensively organized teams like Alaves. He emphasized the need for patience and persistence, praising his team's ability to grind out a result despite the lack of a convincing display. Meanwhile, in other La Liga matches, Real Betis secured a 1-0 victory over Real Mallorca thanks to a goal from Marco Asensio, while Osasuna defeated Real Sociedad 2-1, with Ante Budimir scoring both goals for the home team
Barcelona Alaves La Liga Robert Lewandowski Real Madrid
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