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Flick's men took advantage of Madrid's defeat and reduced the gap by three points after beating a tough Alavés with a goal from Lewandowski. The Blaugranas are now four points behind the leaders.
It's raining less at Can Barça. Real Madrid's unexpected defeat against Espanyol puts them back in the fight for La Liga and after beating Alavés they are four points behind the leaders. And depending on what happens in Saturday's Madrid derby they can scratch off even more if they beat Sevilla at Montjuïc. The match against Alavés had little history - the time it took to get Lewandowski's 1-0 - beyond the time at which it was played, not usual for the blaugranas, and that the players came out with a shirt with their names printed in Chinese. Alavés held out for an hour, but as the second half began it was clear that the three points were going to stay at Montjuïc.
Flick brought out his most recognisable team considering that Dani Olmo is still out. If any spectators were drowsy due to the sun and the time, Lamine Yamal woke them up with a great play in which he got past eight players before opening up to Raphinha. A play that the best Messi or Maradona would have done, it's all the same. Gavi's impetuosity played a trick on him and his game lasted a quarter of an hour. First he made a strong tackle on Tenaglia for which he was shown a yellow card and just a minute later he collided head to head with Conechny and both had to leave the field, with the Argentine player from Alavés coming off worse.
The two stoppages of play took the pace out of the match and Alavés were comfortable during the first half hour. Coudet's men not only did not close down but also tried to keep the ball for as long as possible, making Flick's men uncomfortable, who saw that every attempt at play ended in a foul by the Basque team. Something that unhinged the crowd and the Barça players themselves, more tense than usual due to the need to win after Madrid's slip-up. Owono did not suffer any problems in the first half thanks to two defensive actions by Mouriño and the fact that the only local shots went wide -Lewandowski- and without much power on goal -Pedri.
Flick made a double substitution after the break, bringing on Eric García for Araujo - on a card - and De Jong for Casadó, seeking to give more fluidity to the Barça game, which in the first half was unable to break down the Vitorian defence. The changes had an effect and Barça were much more involved in the game. The first great chance for the home side was a header from Lewandowski after a cross from Lamine that grazed the post. The second, a shot from Lamine from outside the area looking for the far post that Owono deflected for a corner. And the third was the decisive one, as the 1-0 came from that corner when Lewandowski finished alone in the six-yard box after a cross from Lamine Yamal. The Pole took advantage of the fact that Mbappé did not score to get one more goal from him in his fight for the 'Pichichi'.
See You soon!
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