Barcelona secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory against relegation-threatened Leganés, extending their unbeaten streak to 24 matches across all competitions and moving seven points clear at the top of LaLiga. The win, while not as spectacular as their midweek Champions League triumph, proved crucial in the title race.
Despite Barcelona’s dominant 4-0 win over Borussia Dortmund, Leganés started the match with impressive intensity. They nearly took an early lead when Dani Raba set up former La Masia player Adrià Altimira, whose effort was thwarted by Wojciech Szcz?sny.
Barcelona gradually asserted control, with Marko Dmitrovi? making a crucial save to deny Jules Koundé. Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, and Fermín López also had opportunities before halftime, which was further marred by an injury to Alejandro Balde.
Leganés continued to pose a threat after the break, with Raba narrowly missing the target. However, their resistance was broken in the 48th minute when Jorge Sáenz inadvertently turned Raphinha’s cross into his own net.
Barcelona had chances to extend their lead, with Fermín López missing a clear opportunity and Robert Lewandowski narrowly failing to score his 100th Barcelona goal.
While the performance wasn’t as dazzling as their midweek display, the win was vital for Barcelona. It puts pressure on Real Madrid, who play Deportivo Alavés on Sunday.
For Leganés, the defeat extends their winless run to five games, leaving them 19th in the table, two points from safety. The team’s spirited performance, however, suggests they are still capable of fighting for survival.
