FC Barcelona: Ter Stegen, Cancelo, Araujo, Koundé (Balde 70′), Martínez, Gündogan, Fermín (Raphinha 64′), Pedri (Romeu 82′), Lewandowski, Yamal, Felix (Torres 70′)
Bench: Peña, Christensen, Alonso, Romeu, Balde, Raphinha, Torres, Astralaga and Casadó
Goals: 0-1 Samu (1′), 1-1 Lewandowski (53′), 2-1 Lewandowski, penalty (78′)
Not even half a minute had been played before Alavés took the lead. Gündogan threw the ball away in the middle and this punished the visitors with an effective counter, where Samu sent the ball between the legs of Ter Stegen. Xavi stood on the sidelines looking very resigned. Barca’s players seemed shaken and there was no speed in the ball from the home team’s side. After 10 minutes, Alavés set up another dangerous transition, where Samu sent the ball into the side netting. A few minutes later, Barca had their first attempt of the match, but the goalkeeper safely dealt with the shot from Felix.
Just before the clock reached a quarter of an hour, Barca’s defense sailed again. This meant that Samu got a completely open free runner towards the goal and had plenty of time, but fortunately for Barca, he burned big by sending the ball past the goal. Here was the luck with Barca. A few minutes later, it was Barca’s turn to have a great opportunity when Gündogan played Lewandowski free in the box, but his shot was parried by the keeper. Barca clearly had most of the ball, but Alavés did not seem under pressure, because the Catalan attack seemed toothless. When they finally managed to get near the visitors’ field, the final passes or crosses were imprecise.
After half an hour, it was close to another score for Alavés, as Koundé could not match Samu physically at all, so the striker finished close to the goal. Here Xavi took the consequence and swapped Koundé and Araujo in the back chain, so it was Araujo who had to mark Samu. Barca struggled to create anything and Alavés were most of the time in front of their own half. There was a little more speed in the ball in the last minutes of the half, but without any chances being created before the half-time whistle. It was thus 0-1 after a miserable first half by Barca, where they could well have been behind by more than one goal.
Barca took the initiative from the start of the second half and Alavés were pushed all the way back into their own half. The team was well supported by spectators and they finally got something to be happy about in the 53rd minute. Here Koundé sent a high ball into the box, where Lewandowski beautifully turned it into the net with his head for a redeeming 1-1 equaliser. Barca maintained a firm grip on the game against a Basque side who defended with all their might and dragged out time when given the opportunity. After an hour of play, Xavi was substituted for the first time as an anonymous Fermín was replaced by Raphinha.
Alavés managed to stop Barca’s pressure for a period and the Basques created a few dangerous situations in the Catalan field, without however being finished. In the middle of the half, Xavi changed again when Balde and Torres replaced Koundé and Felix. Soon after, Yamal finished after a good dribble in the box, but he had to see the keeper save for a corner. Barca once again pushed the Basques back in front of their own field and the hunt for a winning goal began in earnest. This was seen in the fact that Araujo went along whenever possible.
In the 78th minute, a ball was played to Torres in the box, where he was clearly brought down. The referee did not hesitate and pointed to the 11-meter spot for a penalty kick. Lewandowski made sure of that by sending the ball high into the goal to make it 2-1. That score created a roar of jubilation at the Estadi Olímpic. Right after, Pedri was replaced by Romeu. Alavés tried to react and they moved the game further up the pitch. Barca came under pressure in the referee’s extra time, where Alavés had two finishes, but without an equaliser. In the 96th minute there was drama when Alavés sent a header close to goal and appealed that the ball had hit Romeu on the arm, but nothing more happened. Barca thereby won 2-1 and got the three important points at home.
