Robert Lewandowski’s second-half goal helped Barcelona beat Alaves 1-0 on Sunday, closing the gap on La Liga leaders Real Madrid to four points.
The Catalans, third, took advantage of the champions’ slip-up across town at Espanyol on Saturday, winning narrowly.
Barcelona trails second-place Atletico by three points, but the Rojiblancos face Real Madrid in a tense rivalry next weekend, which could allow Hansi Flick’s team to gain ground.
Lewandowski scored off a Lamine Yamal cross to end a hard-fought game in which Alaves mostly vexed the hosts.
“Before the game, we knew we had to win,” Lewandowski told Movistar. “For us, it’s a moment in which we have fewer points than Atletico and Real Madrid, (but) first it’s important that we win, and later we can think about their points.
“We have to play well, win, and then we can look at the league table and see how many points we have exactly.”
Flick’s side struggled to get going in the early afternoon sunlight at the Olympic stadium.
In the first half, the Catalans struggled to create anything noteworthy as Alaves resisted.
Despite a mazy Lamine Yamal dribble, there was little else to excite home fans.
Gavi and Tomas Conechny were both taken off after a head-on collision.
Lewandowski scuffed a shot narrowly wide, and Pedri’s low effort was comfortably fielded by Alaves keeper Jesus Owono.
Flick sent on Frenkie de Jong and Eric Garcia at halftime to try to speed up Barcelona’s possession game, and the team appeared sharper as a consequence.
Shortly before breaking the deadlock, Lewandowski blasted a looping header agonisingly wide of the far post.
After 61 minutes, the experienced Polish attacker scored with a poacher’s finish from close range after Yamal’s cross-shot spun towards him at the back post.
It was Lewandowski’s 18th goal of the season, extending his lead over Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe as the league’s leading scorer to three.
“A game like today is very important,” said Lewandowski.
“We can’t always win with four, five, or six goals; sometimes teams like this come along who defend deep and well, but we have a chance if we play with patience, and in the end, we scored one more goal than them, so we’re very happy.”
Barca substitutes Ferran Torres’ curling effort was blocked by Owono at full stretch as the Catalans attempted to seal the game.
Flick’s squad failed to score a second, but Alaves, who scarcely challenged Wojciech Szczesny’s goal throughout, were unable to stage a comeback.
Athletic Bilbao, in fourth place, will play Real Betis later Sunday, among other matches.
