Barcelona beats Alaves; closes the gap to Real Madrid
The decisive moment came in the 61st minute, thanks to a brilliant sequence of play. Pedri delivered a perfectly placed ball into the box, finding Lamine Yamal in stride. The young winger showed his awareness by sending the ball back across goal, where Robert Lewandowski was waiting to finish with a well-placed header. It was a moment of quality that sealed all three points for Hansi Flick’s side.
Barcelona controlled possession throughout the match but found it difficult to break down Alaves’ disciplined defensive structure. Usually, the strategy employed by Alaves' coach, Eduardo Coudet, presents a significant challenge for Barcelona.
His game plan relies on ball movement and creating space through constant off-the-ball runs, particularly from second-line players, to establish superiority in attacking areas. As a result, Barcelona struggled to assert the dominance and clarity it has displayed in recent matches.
Coudet’s tactical approach was evident in the statistics—Barcelona managed 11 shots, but only three were on target, with just one goal to show for. The breakthrough finally came when Lamine Yamal worked his magic. A long pass from Pedri found the wonder kid, who, with a brilliant first touch, set up Lewandowski to push the ball into the net.
The victory not only keeps them in the title race but also puts added pressure on Real Madrid, who now face a brutal run of fixtures. Madrid’s upcoming schedule remains daunting, with a key La Liga clash against Atletico Madrid, two high-stakes Champions League matches against Manchester City, and a Copa del Rey fixture all looming. With squad rotation and fatigue likely to play a role, Barcelona has a real chance to close the gap even further in the coming weeks.
For now, Barcelona have done their part. They are building momentum at the right time, and if they maintain this form, the La Liga title race could be far from decided.