Although it wasn't the brightest display of the Hansi Flick era, Barcelona defeated Alavés 1–0 to continue to make up ground in La Liga.
The fixture got off to a very physical start, especially for Gavi. The young midfielder got booked early and then, 15 minutes in, he collided head-to-head in the air with Tomás Conechni, forcing both players to get substituted after the brutal impact. Barcelona struggled to generate chances after the hectic start, managing only one shot on target the entire first half.
Flick shook up his lineup out of the tunnel and his side immediately began to suffocate Alavés. Two minutes past the hour mark, Pedri found Lamine Yamal who volleyed a cross that Robert Lewandowski pounced on to tap in his league leading 18th goal of the year.
Alavés looked toothless going forward, which allowed Barcelona to step off the gas and simply see out the game. Flick substituted some of his more taxed players, protecting them before their midweek Copa del Rey quarterfinal matchup vs. Valencia.
The Catalans took advantage of Real Madrid's slip up against Espanyol to close the gap to the leaders. With the Madrid derby taking place next weekend, Barça are in prime position to continue their surge in La Liga.
Player ratings from Barça's win vs. Alavés below.
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Barcelona Player Ratings vs. Alaves (4-2-3-1)
Player Ratings Provided by FotMob
Player of the Match: Lamine Yamal
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Barcelona 1-0 Alaves: Player Ratings as Barca Close Gap to Real Madrid in La Liga.
