Madrid: Robert Lewandowski scored a second-half winner as Barcelona beat Alaves 1-0 on Sunday to move within four points of rival Real Madrid at the top of the La Liga.
Madrid lost 1-0 at Espanyol on Saturday after a run of 10 victories in their last 11 matches in all competitions.
Third-placed Barcelona is three points behind second-placed Atletico Madrid, who ended a two-match winless streak in the league with a 2-0 victory against Mallorca on Saturday.
“We knew we had to win this match,” Lewandowski said. “We needed the victory. We had lost too many points in the league already.”
It was the fourth goal in as many matches for Lewandowski across all competitions, and his seventh in the last eight games. The Poland striker scored from close range after a volley by Lamine Yamal from inside the area deflected
off a defender.
Barcelona midfielder Gavi and Alaves forward Tomás Conechny had to be substituted in the first half after a collision of heads while going for the ball about 10 minutes into
the match.