Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski ended his barren goalscoring spell with a brace to rescue the Spanish champions a 2-1 win over visiting Alaves in La Liga on Sunday. Elsewhere, Atletico Madrid got here from behind to beat Villarreal 3-1 and Ivan Rakitic snatched Sevilla a 1-1 residence draw in opposition to Actual Betis in a pulsating Seville derby. Samu Omorodion despatched Alaves forward within the first minute in opposition to a dire Barcelona however Lewandowski’s second half double rescued the hosts three factors.
The victory retains Barcelona in touching distance of shock leaders Girona, who’re 4 factors forward, and second place Actual Madrid, who’ve a two-point benefit, after each gained Saturday.
Veteran ahead Lewandowski scored a superb header early within the second half and thrashed residence a penalty within the 77th minute to achieve seven league targets.
Catalonia is in drought and Lewandowski was enduring one too, with the striker on his worst stretch of type for over a decade, having failed to attain in six appearances prior.
Barcelona are additionally on their very own depressing run of performances, which Xavi stated is as a result of the gamers are nervous, particularly the youthful ones, as a consequence of heavy media criticism.
“We have been extra tense than regular due to all of the noise generated across the crew,” Xavi advised reporters after Barca’s comeback.
“It occurred to me as a participant and it is occurring to my gamers.”
Earlier than the match Xavi stated the crew weren’t in disaster regardless of the current Clasico defeat and a stumble in opposition to Shakhtar Donetsk in midweek, and that it was as much as him to deliver them out of their hunch.
Nonetheless it took simply 18 seconds for Alaves to strike.
– ‘Unacceptable’ –
Ilkay Gundogan misplaced the ball in midfield and with Barcelona’s defence in whole disarray, Javi Lopez crossed for Omorodion, who slotted via Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s legs.
“We can not make these errors, it is unacceptable,” stated Xavi.
“We’re giving far an excessive amount of away and that takes a toll.”
Barcelona have been simply pulled aside on a number of events on the primary half, with Alaves goal man Omorodion, on mortgage from Atletico and solely 19, bettering Jules Kounde repeatedly.
Xavi switched the French centre-back to right-back halfway via the primary half, after the striker barged previous Kounde and hit the crossbar.
Omorodion fired huge one-on-one with Ter Stegen on one other event and Alaves might simply have walked off three targets up.
Followers whistled Barca gamers on the break they usually reacted, levelling early within the second half.
Kounde crossed from the correct and Lewandowski arced a superb header past Sivera’s attain and into the online.
Barcelona clinched the win when substitute Ferran Torres was clumsily felled within the space by Abdel Abqar and Lewandowski smashed the penalty into the roof of the online.
– Simeone celebrates –
An impressed Antoine Griezmann helped Atletico Madrid come from behind to beat Villarreal.
The French ahead netted his three hundredth strike for membership and nation within the win which retains Atletico fourth, two factors behind champions Barca.
Atletico coach Diego Simeone penned a brand new deal