Barcelona were far from flashy but got the job done and defeated Alavés 3–1 to spend the night as new La Liga leaders.
A nightmare start saw Alavés take the lead inside the first minute. But in his first start in over two months, Raphinha wreaked havoc and was the mastermind behind Lamine Yamal’s equalizer and Dani Olmo’s strike that gave the hosts the lead.
Olmo completed his brace in stoppage time to put an exclamation point on a victory that sees Barcelona overtake Real Madrid in the La Liga standings, with Xabi Alonso’s side now obligated to win in their trip to Girona on Sunday.
A win was desperately needed after the midweek debacle against Chelsea. In the second game at the renovated Camp Nou, Barcelona celebrated their 126th birthday with a much-deserved win.
