After a tense 1-0 victory over Real Mallorca on Saturday, Robert Lewandowski’s deadly finish propelled Barcelona to the top of La Liga, at least temporarily. Lewandowski’s beautifully executed goal in the 20th minute and Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s fifth straight shutout in the Premier League were enough to move Barcelona one point ahead of Real Madrid, who play Osasuna on Sunday....CONTINUE READING
Lewandowski is in outstanding form up front, and Xavi Hernandez’s team is smoothing out the wrinkles that plagued them so frequently last season.
Due to the injuries to Ronald Araujo, Jules Kounde, and Hector Bellerin, Xavi started Ansu Fati in place of the injured Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde on the right side of his defense.
After a string of injury issues, it was the 19-year-first old’s La Liga start since November 2021, and his quick burst forward helped Barcelona score the game’s first goal.
After 20 minutes, Lewandowski, who had been cut from Luis Enrique’s most recent Spain squad and was eager to make a good impression in order to be called up for the World Cup, was fed.
The top scorer in the division from Poland, the forward, scored his ninth league goal through a gap that only he could see with a perfectly placed, curling finish into the bottom-right corner.
15 minutes later, Mallorca should have equalized, but Jaume Costa’s close-range attempt was brilliantly saved by Marc-Andre ter Stegen. In a brief period before halftime, Andreas Christensen, Gerard Pique, and Franck Kessie all received bookings for Barcelona. Xavi’s assistant and brother, Oscar Hernandez, was also given a red card for what appeared to be dissent.
After the break, Mallorca continued to frustrate the Catalans, though Lewandowski almost caught Predrag Rajkovic off guard by chasing him down outside the penalty area in an effort to win the ball back.
At the other end, Antonio Sanchez’s cross-shot required ter Stegen, who has been in excellent form this season after a disappointing campaign last time around, to once again make a save. The German recorded his sixth clean sheet in seven league games while breaking his own personal record for the most time in La Liga without giving up a goal.
The addition of Pedri from the bench restored some composure to Barcelona’s performance in the final 20 minutes and assisted them in keeping the obstinate hosts at bay.
As Mallorca attempted to attack Barcelona on the break, Kang-in Lee sent a shot agonizingly wide of the far post, but Javier Aguirre’s team was unable to find a way through. Barcelona may have capitulated in previous seasons, but Xavi’s team is beginning to show their resiliency
