Barcelona fight back to beat Alaves
IMAGE: Dani Olmo celebrates scoring Barcelona’s third goal against Alaves on Saturday. Photograph: Albert Gea/Reuters
Barcelona recovered from an early setback to secure a 3-1 victory over Deportivo Alaves in LaLiga on Saturday, with first-half goals from Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo and a late second for the latter sealing the win at the Camp Nou.
The triumph lifts last year’s champions to the top of the standings on 34 points, two ahead of second-placed Real Madrid, who have a game in hand at Girona on Sunday.
Alaves stunned the hosts in the first minute when Pablo Ibanez struck from close range but Barca hit back seven minutes later, with Raphinha assisting Lamine Yamal to hit a powerful one-touch finish into the top corner to level the score.
IMAGE: Dani Olmo scores Barcelona’s third goal in added time. Photograph: Albert Gea/Reuters
Raphinha was instrumental again in the 26th with another assist, this time for Olmo who expertly curled the ball home first-time from inside the box as the Blaugrana went ahead.
Olmo put the result beyond doubt in added time, finishing off a smooth one-two with Yamal, whose through ball left him free inside the box to slot home with composure.
Late goals help Bayern down St Pauli
IMAGE: Luis Diaz celebrates scoring Bayern Munich’s second goal against St Pauli. Photograph: Albert Gea/Reuters
Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich needed stoppage-time goals from Luis Diaz and Nicolas Jackson to beat strugglers St Pauli 3-1 on Saturday, coming from behind for the second straight week and also hitting the woodwork three times.
Diaz headed in for a 2-1 lead early in stoppage time and Jackson slotted in their third goal as the hosts bounced back from their first defeat of the season in all competitions with Wednesday’s 3-1 loss at Arsenal in the Champions League.
Bayern, who set a league record with 44 consecutive matchdays at the top of the table and remain undefeated in the league this season, are on 34 points after 12 games. They next travel to Union Berlin on Wednesday for the German Cup.
RB Leipzig are second with 26 following Friday’s 0-0 draw at Borussia Moenchengladbach. St Pauli dropped to 17th on seven points following their ninth straight league loss.
“At the end of the day we are two points further away from Leipzig now and that is important,” Bayern coach Vincent Kompany told a press conference. “I see nothing surprising. This is part of the season and we have to value wins like that.”
“These wins are part of a season. It gives us the confidence that we can do it again in the future if necessary. Compliments to the lads for keeping at it. We will need more of that this season.”
IMAGE: Nicolas Jackson scores Bayern Munich’s third goal. Photograph: Albert Gea/Reuters
The Bavarians, who also scored multiple goals in their 20th consecutive Bundesliga match to equal the league record, were 1-0 down in the sixth minute when St Pauli pressed high and won possession, with Andreas Hountondji netting a powerful shot.
With more than 80% of possession in the first half, the hosts desperately tried to come back as they had done last week when they recovered from two goals down to crush Freiburg 6-2.
They hit the post with Lennart Karl’s curler in the 23rd and again through Tom Bischof’s deflected effort 12 minutes later after top scorer Harry Kane came close with a shot of his own.
Raphael Guerreiro, however, made no mistake when he drilled in from a Diaz assist a minute before halftime to level.
Bayern were again in control after the break but St Pauli stayed compact and disciplined. Kane volleyed against the post late on before Diaz put them in front early in stoppage time. Jackson made sure of the win, with his effort at the very end.
