Barcelona returned to winning ways with a commanding 6-1 victory over Alaves at Camp Nou on Sunday, putting their recent defeats behind them.
Lamine Yamal scored twice, while Raphinha also struck twice. Fermin Lopez and Anthony Gordon added a goal each as Hansi Flick’s side produced a strong attacking display.
The victory kept Barcelona at the top of La Liga with 30 points, two ahead of Atletico Madrid. Barcelona took the lead in the eighth minute when Fermin set up Raphinha following a fine pass from Pedri.
Alaves tried to respond, but the hosts doubled their lead in the 23rd minute. Fermin found the net from a tight angle to put Barcelona in control.
Raphinha scored his second goal in the 41st minute after Fermin won possession and provided another assist. Yamal then made it 4-0 in first-half stoppage time, finishing a quick passing move with a low shot into the corner.
Barcelona continued to attack after the break. Karim Adeyemi missed an early chance before Yamal scored his second goal in the 64th minute following a pass from substitute Gabriel Jesus.
Gordon added the sixth goal in the 81st minute after receiving a well-timed pass from Rodri. However, Alaves pulled one back three minutes later when Mariano Diaz took advantage of a mistake by Rodri.
The result came after Barcelona lost 2-1 to Real Madrid in El Clasico and 4-2 to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
“This is what I want to see after two defeats. How we reacted, it was good and in the right way,” Flick said after the match.
Barcelona had to use midfielders Brian Farinas and Frenkie de Jong in defence because of injuries. Flick also expressed concern about the fitness of his defenders ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League match against Aston Villa.
“We have to survive these two games (before the international break). We don’t know who is coming back,” he said.
Elsewhere, Atletico Madrid beat Levante 2-0 to remain close to Barcelona at the top of the table. The victory was Diego Simeone’s 344th as Atletico manager, equalling Luis Aragones’ club record.
Real Betis beat Malaga 2-1, while Rayo Vallecano secured a 3-0 victory over Celta Vigo.
