The Mendizorrotza, a cauldron of Basque passion, was silenced, then ignited, then silenced again. It was a night of dramatic swings in fortune as Deportivo Alaves, buoyed by their home crowd and a lightning-fast start, threatened to derail Barcelona's La Liga campaign. However, the Catalan giants, displaying the grit and guile that has become synonymous with Xavi Hernandez's reign, orchestrated a stirring comeback, ultimately triumphing 4-3 in a seven-goal thriller.
A Dream Start for the Babazorros
Alaves, eager to impress their new manager, Luis García Plaza, stormed out of the blocks, pressing Barcelona high and forcing errors in the visitors' usually composed build-up play. The early pressure yielded a dream start for the Babazorros. In the 7th minute, a swift counter-attack saw Luis Rioja, the architect of Alaves' attacking threat, race down the left flank before cutting inside and unleashing a low drive that nestled into the bottom corner, sending the home fans into raptures.
Barcelona, clearly rattled by Alaves' intensity and the vociferous home support, struggled to find their rhythm. Passes went astray, movement was stifled, and their usually potent attack looked toothless. Alaves, sensing blood, doubled their lead just before the half-hour mark. A long throw-in caused chaos in the Barcelona penalty area, and Rubén Duarte, reacting quickest to the loose ball, bundled it home from close range.
A Glimmer of Hope and the Lewandowski Factor
With the Mendizorrotza rocking and Barcelona reeling, it seemed like an unlikely comeback was on the cards. However, just before half-time, the Blaugrana were thrown a lifeline. A clumsy challenge on Ronald Araújo in the penalty area gave the referee no choice but to point to the spot. Robert Lewandowski, as cool as ever from 12 yards, sent the goalkeeper the wrong way, halving the deficit and giving Barcelona a crucial goal just before the break.
The second half began with Barcelona, spurred on by the late first-half goal, showing a greater sense of urgency and purpose. The midfield trio of Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, and Gavi started to dictate the tempo, while Ousmane Dembélé, a constant threat with his pace and trickery, began to find pockets of space in dangerous areas.
A Comeback Complete and a Late Twist
The equalizer, when it came, was a thing of beauty. A flowing move involving De Jong, Pedri, and Dembélé saw the Frenchman deliver a pinpoint cross into the box. Lewandowski, with the predatory instincts of a seasoned goalscorer, anticipated the cross perfectly, ghosting in front of his marker and guiding a deft header into the back of the net.
Barcelona, now fully in the ascendancy, completed the turnaround in the 63rd minute. Dembélé, once again the catalyst, cut inside from the right flank and unleashed a powerful shot that the Alaves goalkeeper could only parry. Ferran Torres, reacting quickest to the rebound, slotted the ball home to give Barcelona the lead for the first time in the match.
Alaves, to their credit, refused to give up and threw men forward in search of an equalizer. Their persistence paid off in the 96th minute when a long ball forward caught the Barcelona defense napping. Substitute Jorge Villar, with only the goalkeeper to beat, calmly slotted the ball home, sending the Mendizorrotza into delirium and seemingly rescuing a point for the home side.
A Moment of Brilliance Settles the Contest
However, the drama wasn't over yet. In the dying seconds of the match, Barcelona won a free-kick in a dangerous position on the edge of the Alaves penalty area. Lewandowski, relishing the opportunity to seal the victory, stepped up and curled a sumptuous free-kick over the wall and into the back of the net, leaving the Alaves goalkeeper with absolutely no chance. The final whistle blew shortly after, sparking wild celebrations among the Barcelona players and staff.
Takeaways from a Thrilling Encounter
The match was a testament to the unpredictable nature of La Liga and a reminder that even against supposedly inferior opposition, Barcelona are not immune to a scare. Alaves, despite the ultimate result, will take heart from their performance, particularly their first-half display, which showcased their ability to hurt teams on the break and their resilience in the face of a top-quality opponent.
For Barcelona, the victory, while hard-fought, will be a valuable lesson in resilience and the importance of never giving up. The performance also highlighted the individual brilliance of players like Lewandowski and Dembélé, who proved to be the difference-makers on the night. As the Catalan giants continue their quest for silverware this season, this match will serve as a timely reminder that every point in La Liga is hard-earned and that even on their off days, their individual quality can be enough to see them through.
Looking Ahead
Barcelona will look to build on this hard-fought victory as they continue their La Liga campaign. The performance, while not vintage Barcelona, will give them confidence that they have the character and the quality to grind out results even when not at their best. As for Alaves, their performance, particularly in the first half, will give them hope that they can compete in La Liga this season and potentially pull off more upsets along the way.