Dani Olmo struck twice as Barcelona came from behind
to beat Deportivo Alavés 3–1 at the partially reopened Camp Nou on Saturday,
sending the Catalans provisionally top of La Liga.
Barça were stunned just 50 seconds into the
match when Pablo Ibáñez punished slack defending to put the visitors ahead. But
the response from Hansi Flick’s men was swift and composed, led by teenage
sensation Lamine Yamal and a rejuvenated Raphinha in his first
start since returning from injury.
Early Shock, Swift Response
Alavés arrived with far more resistance than
Barcelona’s previous visitors, Athletic Bilbao, and snatched an early opener.
Marc Casado failed to clear a corner, Victor Parada recycled the ball, and
Ibáñez hammered in the loose pass to silence the Camp Nou crowd.
Barça equalised moments later. Raphinha fired a low
cross into the box, Dani Olmo misjudged his swipe at the ball, but 17-year-old
Yamal blasted the loose ball into the roof of the net to restore parity.
Yamal almost added another after dancing past
goalkeeper Antonio Sivera, but his tight-angle shot struck the post.
Olmo Takes Over
Brazilian winger Raphinha was involved again when
Barcelona took the lead midway through the first half. His cut-back found Olmo,
who drilled a low finish inside the near post to make it 2–1.
Joan García ensured Alavés stayed behind when he
denied Calebe with an outstanding save, while Lucas Boyé came close to
equalising just before the interval.
Barcelona’s attempts to kill the game were repeatedly
frustrated. Yamal curled narrowly wide from distance, and Olmo saw an effort
trickle past the post as the hosts struggled to put the contest out of reach.
Pedri Returns, Olmo Seals Victory
There was a huge ovation in the second half as Pedri
González returned from injury, playing his first minutes in weeks in front
of 45,000 fans spread across the three open stands of the partially rebuilt
stadium.
Alavés pushed hard for a late leveller, with Boyé
again threatening, but defender Pau Cubarsí produced a crucial block to
deny the forward.
Deep into stoppage time, Yamal once again drove at the
defence before slipping a pass to Olmo, who calmly placed his finish beyond
Sivera to secure a deserved victory.
Post-Match Reactions
“We were caught by surprise in the first minute, but
we kept our idea and came back well,” Olmo told DAZN.
“It’s a dream to score here and help the team win.”
Alavés defender Jonny Otto admitted the visitors were
close to taking something from the game:
“We couldn’t keep our lead, but we had our chances. It’s not easy to make Barça
ask for the final whistle.”
Standings
The win lifts Barcelona two points clear of Real
Madrid, who will play Girona on Sunday as they look to reclaim top spot.
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