Barca hammers Alaves, keeps La Liga top spot

Manila Times - Nov 1, 2026

BARCELONA — Raphinha and Lamine Yamal each struck twice as Barcelona thrashed Alaves, 6-1, on Saturday to reclaim their La Liga lead and get back on track after two damaging defeats. Earlier Atletico Madrid, second, earned a solid 2-0 win at Levante, but Barca moved back two points clear of the Rojiblancos by routing the Basque visitors at Camp Nou. Still stinging after a Champions League defeat by Paris Saint-Germain and then last weekend's La Liga home Clasico loss against rivals Real Madrid, Hansi Flick's side found their groove once more. Raphinha netted twice in the first half, either side of a Fermin Lopez strike, and Yamal found the net just before the interval. Teenage winger Yamal netted again midway through the second half and substitute Anthony Gordon chipped home Barca's sixth, before Mariano Diaz pulled one back for Alaves. "It was a hard week for us, there was no better place than Camp Nou in front of our fans (to bounce back)," Lopez told Movistar. "They make the difference, Lamine and Raphinha, with them we will achieve big things." There was a minute's silence at the start of each of the day's matches in memory of the 69 victims of the train crash in the province...

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