Barcelona edged closer to LaLiga leaders Real Madrid with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over struggling Alavés at home on Sunday, thanks to Robert Lewandowski's second-half winner.
The win, Barcelona's second consecutive league triumph, reduced their gap with the table-toppers to four points as they moved to 45 points after 22 matches. Alavés remained in the relegation zone in 18th place, two points from safety.
The Catalans started brightly when young talent Lamine Yamal showcased his skills by dribbling through multiple defenders before finding Raphinha on the left, but the Brazilian's effort missed the target. The game's momentum was briefly interrupted when Gavi and Tomás Conechny suffered a clash of heads during an aerial duel, forcing both players to be substituted after receiving treatment on the field.
Despite dominating possession against a defensive Alavés side, Barcelona struggled to convert their chances in the first half. A promising opportunity arose when Manu Sánchez's attempted clearance of Raphinha's cross fell to Lewandowski, but the Polish striker couldn't find the target.
The breakthrough finally came in the 61st minute through a well-worked move. Pedri initiated the attack with a lofted ball from the left, finding Yamal whose cross deflected off Nahuel Tenaglia before reaching Lewandowski, who made no mistake with his close-range volley.
Alavés goalkeeper Jesús Owono prevented Barcelona from extending their lead, producing a fine save to deny Yamal. As the visitors pressed for an equalizer in the closing stages, Barcelona maintained possession to control the tempo. Toni Martínez had a late opportunity to level the score in the 87th minute, but his attempt from Santiago Mouriño's cross went wide, condemning Alavés to their second league defeat under coach Eduardo Coudet since his December appointment.
Barcelona will look to maintain their momentum when they travel to face Sevilla next Sunday, while Alavés host Getafe on the same day.
