Lewandowski strike helps Barcelona close the gap
Robert Lewandowski's second-half strike was enough to see Barcelona move to within four points of LaLiga leader Real Madrid after beating Deportivo Alaves 1-0.
Barcelona moved on to 45 points, closing in on second-placed Atletico Madrid and Carlo Ancelotti's table-topper, which was stunned by Espanyol 24 hours earlier.
Hansi Flick's side started brightly and almost went ahead after four minutes when Lamine Yamal's mazy run ended at the feet of Raphinha, who fired wide from close range.
A clash of heads between Gavi and Tomas Conechny in the first-half saw both players depart in a match that lacked clear-cut chances in the opening exchanges.
Lewandowski then fired a left-footed strike wide of the right-hand post as Barcelona struggled to test visiting goalkeeper Jesus Owono before the break.
The host side continued to push for the opener as Yamal cut inside and unleashed a stinging strike on target, only for Owono to brilliantly tip the ball over the crossbar.
But Barcelona edged ahead just after the hour when Yamal’s deflected cross fell kindly to Lewandowski who turned the ball home with a first-time finish from inside the box.
After opening the scoring, the Blaugrana were happy to protect their lead and were able to see out a 15th league victory of the season to keep their title hopes alive.
