Raphinha and Yamal score twice as Barcelona thrash Alavés 6-1 to retake LaLiga lead

Barcelona beat Alavés 6-1 at Spotify Camp Nou on Saturday night, scoring four times before half-time to answer back-to-back defeats by Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid and move back to the top of LaLiga on 30 points. Raphinha and Lamine Yamal each scored twice, Fermín López scored once and set up two more, and substitute Anthony Gordon added a sixth. Mariano Díaz replied for Alavés in the 84th minute.

Four goals in 45 minutes

Raphinha opened the scoring in the eighth minute after midfielder Pedri slipped a pass in behind for Fermín López, who picked out the Brazilian. Fermín scored the second himself in the 23rd, firing past goalkeeper Antonio Sivera from a tight angle after a Yamal pass, and set up Raphinha again for 3-0 in the 41st by robbing Alavés of the ball and finding him with the outside of his boot. Yamal made it 4-0 in first-half stoppage time with a low finish from the edge of the area after João Cancelo's lay-off.

Our match data shows how one-sided it was: Barcelona scored six goals from seven shots on target, 13 shots in all, while Alavés managed seven shots, three of them on target.

VAR keeps Yamal's second

Yamal's second came in the 64th minute, a chip over Sivera after substitute Gabriel Jesus sent him clear. Referee Adrián Cordero Vega first disallowed it for offside, but VAR overturned the decision and the goal stood, El Gol Digital reports. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick took Yamal off soon afterwards, and his replacement Gordon made it 6-0 in the 81st, chipping Sivera after a pass into space from Barcelona midfielder Rodri. Rodri then gave Alavés their goal with a back pass that Mariano Díaz seized on, so Barcelona missed out on a clean sheet.

A makeshift defence

With Eric García, Jules Koundé, Andreas Christensen and Xavi Espart all injured, Flick moved Frenkie de Jong from midfield to central defence beside Pau Cubarsí and handed a debut to Brian Fariñas, a midfielder converted to right-back, according to Mundo Deportivo. The makeshift back line conceded only once, from Rodri's error. "I asked Frenkie and Brian if they could play there and I thank them for their work," Flick said. Asked about getting Koundé, García and Christensen back this week, he replied: "We must survive these two games," meaning Tuesday's Champions League tie with Aston Villa and the trip to Atlético. He said Christensen is close to rejoining the group but that, with an international break coming, Barcelona will not take risks with him.

Flick's 100th win

The 6-1 win was Flick's 100th as Barcelona coach, reached in 131 games. Only Luis Enrique reached 100 faster at Barcelona, in 126, and Flick's 76.33% win rate is the best of any coach in the club's history, according to FC Barcelona. "It's what I wanted to see after two defeats," Flick said, as reported by Crónica Global. He added that he had spoken to Yamal at half-time about regaining his confidence in one-on-one situations, and that he took Pedri off at the break because the midfielder had a yellow card and there was no need to take risks.

What it changes

Barcelona have 30 points from 11 games, with ten wins, one defeat and 46 goals scored against 12 conceded. Atlético Madrid are second on 28 after a 2-0 win at Levante earlier on Saturday, with goals from Alejandro Grimaldo and Giuliano Simeone, which had briefly put them top. Real Madrid, on 24 points from ten games, visit Racing Santander on Sunday at 16:15 Spanish time, and Betis, 2-1 winners over Málaga on Saturday, are fourth on 23. Crónica Global counts 15 LaLiga goals for Raphinha and, for Yamal, 10 goals and seven assists in the league this season.

Barcelona host Aston Villa on Tuesday, then visit Atlético on Sunday 8 November at 21:00, with the lead at stake.