Barcelona regains lead of La Liga
Barcelona took advantage of Real Madrid’s stumble and regained the Spanish league lead with a comfortable 3-0 win over relegation-threatened Levante. Marc Bernal, Frenkie de Jong and Fermin Lopez scored a goal each as Barcelona ended a two-game losing streak to get back in front of rival Madrid, which lost 2-1 at Osasuna on Saturday. Barcelona moved one point ahead of Madrid, which had won eight in a row in the league before losing to Osasuna.
“We know it isn’t easy to start winning again after two defeats, but the team gave a very good response” Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said. Barcelona was coming off a 2-1 loss to Girona in the league and a 4-0 loss to Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals. “It was important to win and earn three points again,” Barcelona defender Joao Cancelo said. “Soccer gives you these opportunities to rebound and that’s what we did today, playing well again after two bad games.”
Barcelona had earned a clean sheet only once in its previous six games in all competitions. Good start for Barcelona: Bernal scored from close range four minutes into the match at the Camp Nou Stadium. The 18-year-old Bernal had scored his first goal with the first team two rounds ago in a win over Mallorca. “They had an early chance but my goal helped us settle and gain some confidence,” Bernal said.
De Jong added to the lead from inside the area in the 32nd and Lopez sealed the victory with a beautiful long-range shot in the 81st, with the ball ricocheting off the post before going into the net. Levante’s Australian goalkeeper Mathew Ryan kept Barcelona from adding the fourth with a pair of outstanding saves in a row in the final minutes, first off a header by Raphinha and then off a point-blank strike from Lopez on the rebound.
It was the fourth straight defeat for Levante, which is in 19th place. It is one point ahead of last-place Oviedo, which has a game in hand. Levante has only one victory in its last eight matches. Pedri entered the match in the 66th to make his return to action nearly a month after an injury layoff. Yamal’s 100th win: Lamine Yamal celebrated his 100th win with Barcelona, becoming the youngest player to reach that mark in official matches for the club.
The 18-year-old Yamal’s 139 games include 16 draws and 23 defeats. Flick downplayed Yamal’s apparent disappointment at being replaced in the final minutes.
Other results: Third-place Villarreal, Barcelona’s next league opponent, restored a three-point gap to fourth-place Atletico Madrid by coming from behind to beat Valencia 2-1 at home. Atletico beat seventh-place Espanyol 4-2 at home on Saturday.
Sixth-place Celta Vigo defeated relegation-threatened Mallorca 2-0 at home with veteran forward Iago Aspas scoring in the 85th and 90th minutes. Celta had been winless in four straight league matches. Mallorca has lost six of its last eight games.
Sevilla won 1-0 at 10-man Getafe for its second win in its last 10 matches in all competitions. Djibril Sow scored a 64th-minute winner for the visitors. Getafe played a man down from the 26th after a straight red card for Djene Dakonam.
