\n
<\/p>\n
BARCELONA: Raphinha and Lamine Yamal each struck twice as Barcelona thrashed Alaves 6-1 on Saturday to reclaim their La Liga lead and get back on track after two damaging defeats.<\/p>\n
Earlier Atletico Madrid, second, earned a solid 2-0 win at Levante, but Barca moved back two points clear of the Rojiblancos by routing the Basque visitors at Camp Nou.<\/p>\n
Still stinging after a Champions League defeat by Paris Saint-Germain and then last weekend\u2019s La Liga home Clasico loss against rivals Real Madrid, Hansi Flick\u2019s side found their groove once more.<\/p>\n
Raphinha netted twice in the first half, either side of a Fermin Lopez strike, and Yamal found the net just before the interval.<\/p>\n
Teenage winger Yamal netted again midway through the second half and substitute Anthony Gordon chipped home Barca\u2019s sixth, before Mariano Diaz pulled one back for Alaves.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a hard week for us, there was no better place than Camp Nou in front of our fans (to bounce back),\u201d Lopez told Movistar.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey make the difference, Lamine and Raphinha, with them we will achieve big things.\u201d<\/p>\n
There was a minute\u2019s silence at the start of each of the day\u2019s matches in memory of the 69 victims of the train crash in the province of Toledo that rocked Spain this week.<\/p>\n
Flick lined up with Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong playing at center-back and youngster Brian Farinas making his first start at right-back, amid a spate of defensive injuries. It did not hamper the champions.<\/p>\n
Barcelona moved ahead in the eighth minute, with La Liga\u2019s top scorer Raphinha continuing his red-hot form after Lopez teed him up.<\/p>\n
Lopez doubled Barcelona\u2019s lead himself in the 23rd minute. Yamal slipped the midfielder in and, from a tight angle, he smashed the ball across goal and fortuitously in at the far post, seemingly intending to cross it.<\/p>\n
Karim Adeyemi and Yamal both missed glorious chances from close range to expand on Barca\u2019s lead, with Raphinha showing the duo how to do it as he bagged his 15th league goal.<\/p>\n
Lopez sent the forward through on goal and Raphinha produced a lethal finish across Antonio Sivera.<\/p>\n
Perhaps frustrated by his miss, Yamal smashed home the fourth with an instinctive low strike from the edge of the box in first half stoppage time.<\/p>\n
Adeyemi blazed another presentable chance over the crossbar early in the second half after Lopez unselfishly set him up.<\/p>\n
Yamal got Barca\u2019s fifth with a neat dink over the goalkeeper after substitute Gabriel Jesus played him through on goal.<\/p>\n
Gordon produced a similar finish for Barca\u2019s sixth and the only tarnish on their evening was former Real Madrid striker Diaz netting late on.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me it was a great game from (Yamal) and it\u2019s great to see the level our attacking players are at, Fermin, Raphinha,\u201d Flick told reporters.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is what I want to see after our two defeats, we reacted in the right way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Barcelona host Aston Villa in the Champions League on Tuesday and travel to face Atletico next Sunday in a table-topping La Liga clash.<\/p>\n
Alaves have now gone seven matches without a win, but are 10th.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to turn the page quickly,\u201d said midfielder Ander Guevara. \u201cWe don\u2019t need to sound the alarms, we know we\u2019re on a bad run, but we\u2019re a mature and humble team.\u201d<\/p>\n
Seven in a row<\/strong><\/p>\n Earlier in Valencia Diego Simeone\u2019s Atletico had temporarily climbed a point clear of the Catalan giants with goals from Alejandro Grimaldo and Giuliano Simeone against Levante.<\/p>\n Atletico recorded a seventh consecutive league win to continue their strong form and put pressure on the reigning champions.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m very happy with the team\u2019s work,\u201d Atletico coach Simeone told Movistar.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re very far from the end of the season… we\u2019ll keep going game by game.\u201d<\/p>\n Alex Baena, the visitors\u2019 main creative outlet, set up both goals as Simeone recorded his 344th La Liga win at the helm of Atletico, matching the club\u2019s record set by Luis Aragones.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t feel it much as mine, but it belongs to my players, everyone who has been with me for so many years,\u201d said Simeone, who started coaching Atletico in 2011.<\/p>\n On Sunday, Jose Mourinho\u2019s Real Madrid, third, visit Racing Santander among other fixtures.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n