Barcelona displayed impressive resilience as they bounced back from an early goal to secure a 3-1 victory over Alavés at the Camp Nou. The defending La Liga champions built on their success with first-half goals from Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo, the latter netting a second late in the game to ultimately seal the win. This triumph elevates Barcelona to the top of the league table with 34 points, two points ahead of Real Madrid, who have a match in hand against Girona on Sunday.
The match started on a shocking note for Barcelona when Alavés’ Pablo Ibáñez scored in the first minute, giving the visitors hope. However, Barça quickly responded, with Raphinha providing a crucial assist for Lamine Yamal, who finished powerfully into the top corner just seven minutes later. Raphinha continued to play a pivotal role, assisting Dani Olmo’s expertly curled shot inside the box in the 26th minute to put the home side ahead. In stoppage time, Olmo completed his brace with a composed finish after a clever one-two with Yamal, solidifying the victory.
Meanwhile, Atlético Madrid continued their excellent form with a 2-0 win over Real Oviedo, thanks to two goals from Alexander Sørloth. This extends Diego Simeone’s remarkable winning streak to seven matches across all competitions and keeps Atlético Madrid in contention at third place with 31 points.
In the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich overcame St Pauli with a final score of 3-1, needing stoppage-time goals from Luis Díaz and Nicolas Jackson to secure the victory. This comeback marked a new league record for Bayern, having spent 44 consecutive rounds at the top of the table despite facing an early setback when they fell behind just six minutes into the match.
Borussia Dortmund also had success in the Bundesliga, defeating Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 and climbing to third place. In Serie A, AC Milan edged past Lazio with a narrow 1-0 victory, positioning Milan at the top of the league standings. Juventus, meanwhile, found redemption after two league draws, defeating Cagliari 2-1 thanks to a double from Kenan Yildiz.
In Ligue 1, Monaco handed Paris Saint-Germain their first league defeat since September, showcasing a robust performance that saw Takumi Minamino’s solitary goal secure the win, lowering PSG’s lead at the top of the table to seven points.
As the season unfolds, these victories not only solidify the positions of these teams in their respective leagues but also enhance their confidence moving forward, promising an exciting continuation of the campaign.