There is no real morality in football, only victories or defeats which guide reasoning. And this new offensive score for Barça this evening, against Alavés, should reassure Hansi Flick’s players in the idea that they will have to be counted on in the title race this season, even if there will also be things to say about the evening defense. A week after their first setback in the league against Osasuna (4-2), the Blaugrana reduced the poor to pieces Babazorros (0-3), already put before their limits against Getafe last weekend.
By arriving with the buoy and armbands, their coach Luis García Plaza thought at least limiting the damage against the best attack in the championship, but the mechanics quickly went wrong. Thanks to Raphinha’s still-sure left foot, and Lewandowski’s still-destructive header, the Blaugrana only needed seven minutes to find the key from a set piece (0-1, 7th). It only took fifteen more for the duo to turn off the power at the Estadio Mendizorrotza. Starting from his own half, the Brazilian humiliated Abqar with a body feint and delivered a star service to the Pole, after having covered more than 70 meters (0-2, 22nd)
Lewandowski sees triple, Raphinha best Barcelona player
As the appetite comes with eating, Lewandowki scored a 10th goal in La Liga, enough to consolidate his place more than ever at the top of the scorers’ rankings. This time, he could thank Pedri, whose pass triggered the delay at the start of the action, and Eric García – who came on in place of the unfortunate Ferran Torres, who came off injured in the 4th minute -, who cleverly found him between the two central defenders so that he can finish with a cross shot (0-3, 32nd). So often quick to light up Barcelona evenings in recent times, captain Raphinha was even close to being a decisive triple passer for Robert Lewandowski’s almost quadruplet, but the Pole was too short on his cross (43rd). Pedri completely missed his recovery after a remote serve from Yamal at the far post (45+4th). Obviously, on the Barcelona side, this match served as a reminder that danger could come from all sides in attack, and even from the incoming Ansu Fati, not far from scoring twice, but each time disgusted by Sivera in second half.
However, he also put Hansi Flick in front of the deficiencies shown by his defense this afternoon. While waiting for Wojciech Szczęsny to be operational, Iñaki Peña confirmed that he was a solid number 2, but certainly not a good number 1. As for Cubarsi, he showed that he was still sometimes too green in the management of certain situations , as on this goal refused to Toni Martinez for a preliminary offside (45th), while a second was refused at the end of the match. Baldé and Fort often stuck out their tongues against Vicente and Conechny… This evening, Alavés had a lot of situations, but fortunately for Barça, too few chances, the fault of a permanent technical clumsiness which made him touch the amounts three times. Hansi Flick will have plenty of time to tie knots in his brain and find solutions. But in the meantime, Barcelona still remains leader, three points ahead of Real Madrid.
