Barcelona Scrapes Past Alaves 2-1: Lewandowski’s Brilliance Rescues Catalans from Early Setback
In a bid to recover from their midweek defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk, Barcelona secured a hard-fought victory over Alaves at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys. However, the win was anything but convincing, requiring a comeback to secure three points.
Alaves initiated the encounter with a dream start, taking the lead within 18 seconds as Samu Omorodion, on loan from Atletico Madrid, found the net with a left-sided cross, giving the Basque side an early advantage.
Despite the early setback, Samu had several opportunities to extend Alaves’ lead in the first half, but Barcelona’s lackluster performance ensured they were fortunate to only be 1-0 down at halftime.
The turning point came after the break when Robert Lewandowski, ending a six-match goalless streak, brilliantly headed home an equalizer for Barcelona. The Polish striker later secured the victory by converting a penalty in the 78th minute after Ferran Torres was fouled inside the area.
With this result, Barcelona maintains their position in third place, trailing league leaders Girona by four points and sitting two points behind Real Madrid. However, questions persist about Xavi Hernandez and the team’s overall performance as they head into the international break.
