
Barcelona, Spain — Robert Lewandowski delivered a decisive second-half goal as Barcelona secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Alaves on Sunday, narrowing the gap to just four points behind league leaders Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga.
The match, played at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, saw Lewandowski continue his impressive scoring form, netting his fourth goal in as many matches across all competitions. The Polish striker’s close-range finish came after a deflected volley from teammate Lamine Yamal, breaking the deadlock in a tightly contested encounter.
“We knew we had to win this match,” Lewandowski said after the game. “We needed the victory. We had lost too many points in the league already.”
The win was crucial for Barcelona, who now sit third in the table, just three points behind second-placed Atletico Madrid. Atletico had earlier ended a two-match winless streak with a 2-0 victory over Mallorca on Saturday. Meanwhile, Real Madrid’s surprising 1-0 loss to Espanyol on Saturday opened the door for Barcelona to close the gap at the top.
Despite Barcelona’s recent goal-scoring exploits, including a 7-1 thrashing of Valencia, Sunday’s match proved to be a more subdued affair. Alaves, struggling near the bottom of the table, failed to register a single shot on target, highlighting their offensive struggles. The defeat leaves Alaves in the relegation zone, with just one win in their last 11 matches across all competitions.
“It’s not every time that we will be able to score three, four, or five goals in a game,” Lewandowski remarked. “We had to be patient, and in the end, we did what we had to do, which was to score one more goal than our opponent.”
The match was marred by an early injury scare when Barcelona’s Gavi and Alaves’ Tomás Conechny collided head-on while contesting for the ball just 10 minutes into the game. Both players were forced to leave the pitch, with Gavi walking off on his own. Conechny, however, was stretchered off and taken to a local hospital for further evaluation. There was no immediate update on his condition following the incident.
Barcelona’s head coach, Hansi Flick, expressed relief at securing the three points but acknowledged the physical toll of the match. “It was a tough game, and the injuries are always concerning,” Flick said. “We’re happy with the win, but our thoughts are with the players who got hurt.”
With the victory, Barcelona continues to build momentum in their pursuit of the La Liga title. Lewandowski’s consistent form has been a key factor, with the striker now boasting seven goals in his last eight games. As the season progresses, Barcelona will aim to maintain pressure on Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in what promises to be a thrilling title race.
For Alaves, the focus shifts to their battle for survival, with the team desperately needing to find a way out of the relegation zone.
Reporting by Tales Azzoni; Associated Press writer Joan Monfort contributed to this report.