Considering that their last La Liga outing saw them comfortably defeated by Osasuna, Hansi Flick’s Barça side took to the pitch higher on confidence than they had any right to be. But a five-star UEFA Champions League midweek win meant they were in the mood for more carnage up front, and Barcelona thought they had the lead when Lamine Yamal and Raphinha combined smartly before the Brazilian’s eventual finish was ruled out for offside.
But the visitors found their opener before long, as Lewandowski headed home Raphinha’s fantastic whipped free-kick delivery. The Polish international had his second 15 minutes later, again courtesy of a revitalised Raphinha, when he tapped home a squared ball across the Alavés box. And Lewandowski then completed his first pre-HT treble since March 2022, as he superbly managed to sneak the ball past a helpless Antonio Sivera from the tightest of angles.
The year was 2016 when Alavés last defeated Barcelona, and despite seeing a goal of their own disallowed on the brink of HT, they never looked like breaking that gruesome record here. And with Barcelona holding 70% possession in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Alavés’ lack of impact on the contest led manager Luis García to make sweeping changes before the last 20 minutes. Much to the disappointment of the home faithful though, the substitutions had little-to-no effect on the game.
In the latter minutes, Barça were content to allow the hosts to chase their shadows as they popped the ball around midfield in a commanding performance. Barcelona’s place atop the La Liga summit will remain intact over the October international break, and Flick will be happy with another goal-laden display from his side – and Lewandowski in particular, whose form will surely be vital if they are to capture the title.
