Robert Lewandowski scored twice as Barcelona came back from a goal down to beat lowly Alaves 2-1 in La Liga on Sunday, salvaging the Spanish giants after two defeats in their last three games in all competitions.
Barca are third in La Liga with 30 points, two behind second-place Real Madrid and four behind surprise leaders Girona.
Alaves striker Samu Omorodion, 19, surprised Barca by opening the scoring 18 seconds into the match with a touch with his right foot just inside the penalty area after a quick counter-attack.
Photo: Reuters.
The goal came after Ilkay Gundogan lost the ball in midfield and the hosts were lucky to go into the break only slightly behind.
At Barcelona’s Olympic Stadium, the champions struggled from the start with poor ball control and sloppy passing, giving Alaves the opportunity to at least quadruple their lead.
However, the visitors missed several chances, including Samu’s close-range strike in the 30th minute.
Lewandowski equalized with a header in the 52nd minute.
Barca took control of the game and in the 77th minute Alaves defender Abdelkabir Abkar fouled Rafinha in the penalty area and Lewandowski scored the penalty to earn the points.
“We have to be aware of our moment and be self-critical, we haven’t been playing football very well lately and we need to improve a lot in the future,” Xavi told Movistar Plus.
“The international break comes at a good time and it will be good for us to reflect and work hard to correct our mistakes. “I’m optimistic and believe we have enough talent and drive to come back much better in two weeks,” he added.
Atletico Madrid are fourth with 25 points and two games behind the leaders, and host Villarreal on Sunday.
Source: Aristegui Noticias
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