Barcelona thrashes Alavés 6-1 to reclaim LaLiga lead ahead of Atlético showdown

Barcelona achieved a resounding 6-1 victory over Alavés at Spotify Camp Nou, regaining the top position in LaLiga. This win followed a reshuffled defense and sets the stage for a key encounter with Atlético Madrid at the Metropolitano.

Earlier in the day on 31 October, Atlético Madrid briefly took the lead in the league after their victory against Levante. However, Barcelona quickly reclaimed the top spot with a dominant performance against Alavés, marking an end to a two-game losing streak that included defeats to PSG and Real Madrid.

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According to the official LaLiga table, Barcelona has scored 46 goals while conceding 12, resulting in a goal difference of +34, while Atlético has scored 22 and conceded 8.

This match served as Barcelona’s first challenge since their Clásico encounter, where they fell 2-1 to Real Madrid on 25 October. In that match, Kylian Mbappé scored two goals, including one in the closing minutes after Raphinha had equalized.

Barcelona Dominates First Half with 4-0 Lead

Raphinha kicked off the scoring for Barcelona in the 8th minute, followed by Fermín López in the 23rd minute, Raphinha again in the 41st, and Lamine Yamal who added a fourth during first-half stoppage time. Barcelona demonstrated their control over the game, holding 77% of possession in front of a crowd of 53,523.

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Yamal appeared to score again in the 64th minute, but the goal was initially ruled offside. However, a VAR review confirmed he was onside. He received a standing ovation upon being substituted shortly after, with Gordon coming on in his place.

The former Newcastle winger marked his arrival with his first league goal for Barcelona in the 81st minute, chipping the goalkeeper after collecting a through ball from Rodri. Alavés managed a consolation goal through Mariano Díaz in the 84th minute.

Depleted Defense Leads to Team Restructuring

Absences in the squad prompted coach Hansi Flick to reconfigure his defensive lineup. Fariñas started at right-back and completed the full match. Frenkie de Jong shifted to centre-back alongside Cubarsí, and João Cancelo filled the left-back position. Gerard Martín replaced De Jong late in the game.

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Typically a midfielder, Fariñas, originally from the Valencian Community, joined Barcelona as an under-14 player in 2018. He had previously experienced the right-back position for a brief period during a pre-season match against Birmingham City.