A A second-half goal from Robert Lewandowski secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory for Barcelona over Alaves on Sunday, keeping their La Liga title hopes alive and within reach of leaders Real Madrid.
The win moved Barcelona into third place, closing the gap to the top to just four points, taking advantage of Real Madrid’s unexpected draw with Espanyol on Saturday. Barcelona are now three points behind Atletico Madrid, who will face Real Madrid in a crucial derby next weekend.
Lewandowski broke the deadlock in the 61st minute, converting a precise cross from Lamine Yamal to give Barcelona the edge in a match where Alaves’ resilient defense had kept the scoreline level for much of the game.
“We knew we had to win,” Lewandowski said post-match. “We played well, won, and now we can focus on the league standings.”
Barcelona Edge Alaves to Maintain Title Aspirations
Barcelona found it difficult to break down Alaves in the first half, as the visitors defended tightly. Lamine Yamal’s dazzling dribbling was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise uneventful opening 45 minutes.
The match was briefly paused after a clash of heads between Barcelona’s Gavi and Tomas Conechny of Alaves, both of whom were substituted. Manager Hansi Flick later reassured fans that Gavi was fine and had safely returned home.
In the second half, Flick made key substitutions, bringing on Frenkie de Jong and Eric Garcia to improve Barcelona’s play. Their influence was soon felt as the team looked more dynamic in possession. Lewandowski came close with a header, before finally finding the back of the net with a poacher’s finish, his 18th La Liga goal of the season, extending his lead at the top of the scoring charts.
“This is Lewy’s job—he’s the best number nine in the box,” Flick said after the match. “In a game like this, it was important for him to be there.”
Barcelona nearly doubled their lead when Ferran Torres forced a brilliant save from Alaves’ goalkeeper Jesus Owono, but the visitors rarely threatened Barcelona’s Wojciech Szczesny.
While the win was hard-earned, Lewandowski emphasized the importance of grinding out results as the La Liga title race intensifies. Later on Sunday, Athletic Bilbao, sitting in fourth place, will face Real Betis in another important fixture.
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