LaLiga: Barcelona Move Within Four Points of Real Madrid with Narrow Alaves Victory

Barcelona defeated Alaves 1-0 at home, with Robert Lewandowski scoring the decisive goal, to close the gap on leaders Real Madrid to four points in LaLiga.

Barcelona secured back-to-back LaLiga wins for the first time since early November, defeating Alaves 1-0 at home. The hard-fought victory helped Barcelona gain ground on their rivals, Real Madrid. Alaves, meanwhile, remain rooted in the relegation zone.

Barcelona started strongly, with Lamine Yamal embarking on a mesmerizing run past five defenders in the fourth minute. Yamal squared the ball to Raphinha, but the Brazilian's shot narrowly missed the target. However, the momentum was soon disrupted by a nasty clash of heads between Tomas Conechny and Gavi, resulting in both players being substituted after 14 minutes.

Following the resumption of play, Alaves dominated possession but struggled to create scoring opportunities due to Barcelona's effective offside trap. Robert Lewandowski's strike, which went narrowly wide just before the 30-minute mark, was one of the few threats Barcelona posed during this period. The first goalbound effort arrived in the 43rd minute, when Pedri found space at the edge of the box, but his shot was well caught by Jesus Owono.

The second half continued at a measured tempo, with Lewandowski's header drifting wide in the early stages. On the hour mark, Yamal's curling strike was tipped over by Owono, and from the resulting corner, Barcelona finally broke the deadlock. Pedri's crossfield pass found Yamal, who sent a volleyed cross towards Lewandowski, allowing him to fire into the roof of the net for his 30th goal in all competitions this season.

🐍 FULL TIME! 🐍#BarçaAlavés pic.twitter.com/t67quypza4

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) February 2, 2025

Alaves failed to mount a response, failing to register a single attempt in the second half. Meanwhile, Barcelona's Ferran Torres and Fermin Lopez both came close to doubling the hosts' advantage, but the match ended 1-0 in favor of Barcelona.

Hansi Flick's team ultimately secured a 1-0 victory, marking their 13th win in 15 league meetings against Alaves, and narrowing the gap with leaders Real Madrid to four points. In contrast, the defeat marked Alaves' first away league loss under Eduardo Coudet, leaving them two points adrift of safety.