February 02, (THEWILL) – A clinical finish from Robert Lewandowski propelled Barcelona to a 1-0 victory against Deportivo Alaves at the Camp Nou, reducing the gap to four points behind Real Madrid in the La Liga championship race.
The triumph positions Barcelona on 45 points, strengthening their pursuit of both Atletico Madrid and league leaders Real Madrid, who experienced an unexpected defeat to Espanyol in their previous fixture.
The match began with Barcelona nearly taking the lead through Raphinha in the fourth minute following exceptional work from Lamine Yamal.
However, the first half proved challenging for both teams, with a significant stoppage occurring when Gavi and Tomas Conechny collided, resulting in both players requiring medical attention and subsequent substitution.
Barcelona maintained offensive pressure throughout the encounter, with Yamal particularly influential in creating opportunities.
The young winger forced goalkeeper Jesus Owono into an impressive save, pushing a powerful strike over the crossbar.
The breakthrough arrived after 60 minutes when Yamal’s deflected cross found Lewandowski, who finished it with a precise strike from inside the penalty area.
Following the goal, Barcelona implemented a controlled approach to protect their advantage, successfully managing the remainder of the match.
This victory marks their 15th league success of the campaign, maintaining their position in the title competition and applying pressure on their rivals above them in the standings.
The result carries significant implications for the Spanish top flight, with Barcelona now positioned more favourably in their pursuit of domestic glory.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
