Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski ended his barren goalscoring spell with a brace to rescue the Spanish champions a 2-1 win over visiting Alaves in La Liga on Sunday. Elsewhere, Atletico Madrid got here from behind to beat Villarreal 3-1 and Ivan Rakitic snatched Sevilla a 1-1 house draw towards Real Betis in a pulsating Seville derby. Samu Omorodion despatched Alaves forward within the first minute towards a dire Barcelona however Lewandowski’s second half double rescued the hosts three factors.

The victory retains Barcelona in touching distance of shock leaders Girona, who’re 4 factors forward, and second place Real Madrid, who’ve a two-point benefit, after each received Saturday.

Veteran ahead Lewandowski scored an excellent header early within the second half and thrashed house a penalty within the 77th minute to achieve seven league objectives.

Catalonia is in drought and Lewandowski was enduring one too, with the striker on his worst stretch of kind for over a decade, having failed to attain in six appearances prior.

Barcelona are additionally on their very own depressing run of performances, which Xavi mentioned is as a result of the gamers are nervous, particularly the youthful ones, attributable to heavy media criticism.

“We were more tense than normal because of all the noise generated around the team,” Xavi informed reporters after Barca’s comeback.

“It happened to me as a player and it’s happening to my players.”

Before the match Xavi mentioned the group weren’t in disaster regardless of the latest Clasico defeat and a stumble towards Shakhtar Donetsk in midweek, and that it was as much as him to convey them out of their hunch.

However it took simply 18 seconds for Alaves to strike.

– ‘Unacceptable’ –
Ilkay Gundogan misplaced the ball in midfield and with Barcelona’s defence in complete disarray, Javi Lopez crossed for Omorodion, who slotted by Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s legs.

“We cannot make those mistakes, it’s unacceptable,” mentioned Xavi.

“We’re giving far too much away and that takes a toll.”

Barcelona have been simply pulled aside on a number of events on the primary half, with Alaves goal man Omorodion, on mortgage from Atletico and solely 19, bettering Jules Kounde repeatedly.

Xavi switched the French centre-back to right-back halfway by the primary half, after the striker barged previous Kounde and hit the crossbar.

Omorodion fired extensive one-on-one with Ter Stegen on one other event and Alaves may simply have walked off three objectives up.

Fans whistled Barca gamers on the break and so they reacted, levelling early within the second half.

Kounde crossed from the suitable and Lewandowski arced an excellent header past Sivera’s attain and into the online.

Barcelona clinched the win when substitute Ferran Torres was clumsily felled within the space by Abdel Abqar and Lewandowski smashed the penalty into the roof of the online.

– Simeone celebrates –
An impressed Antoine Griezmann helped Atletico Madrid come from behind to beat Villarreal.

The French ahead netted his three hundredth strike for membership and nation within the win which retains Atletico fourth, two factors behind champions Barca.

Atletico coach Diego Simeone penned a brand new deal this week till 2027 and was in a position to have fun in model, after Gerard Moreno put Villarreal forward early on on the Metropolitano.

Axel Witsel, arrange by Griezmann, levelled earlier than the break and the Frenchman pounced to show the sport on its head after 80 minutes.

Substitute Samuel Lino wrapped up a seventeenth house win throughout all competitions 5 minutes later, additional punishing managerless Villarreal, 14th, who sacked Pacheta this week.

“I know that Antoine will go down in the history of the club, for sure, because of the number of goals that he has scored and that we hope that he continues to score,” mentioned Simeone, lavishing reward on his key participant.

Griezmann mentioned that he was delighted that Simeone had penned a brand new contract and he too wish to pledge his future to the membership.

“Surely his turn will come,” the coach informed Movistar.

“The club is working to continue growing and Griezmann is very important in the present and in the future.”

Seventh-placed Betis took the lead towards Sevilla by Ayoze Perez within the 72nd minute because the guests appeared to pile on the distress for his or her struggling rivals.

Diego Alonso’s aspect haven’t received in La Liga since September, drawing 5 matches in a row.

However Rakitic earned them some extent on this event with an outstanding strike from exterior the world, to maintain his aspect in mid-table.

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