Barcelona Fights Hard in Leganés for Vital Win
Winning in Butarque is never easy. It’s one of those grounds where intensity beats talent, where second balls decide the rhythm, and where raw energy often trumps tactics. Barcelona knew what they were walking into and still came out on top. It wasn’t pretty, and it certainly wasn’t smooth. A scrappy 1-0 win, courtesy of a Jorge Sáenz own goal, was enough to return home with three points. The cost was high, losing Alejandro Balde to injury, yet the reward may be even bigger: Real Madrid will play under pressure, seven points behind the leaders. At a moment when Carlo Ancelotti is walking a tightrope and his team is falling apart, Barça refuses to show mercy.
This wasn’t a night for rotation, despite being sandwiched between two quality Champions League matches. Hansi Flick knows the league matters just as much, maybe more. So he only made two changes from the team that dismantled Borussia Dortmund: Ronald Araujo for Pau Cubarsí and Eric Garcia for Frenkie de Jong. From the opening whistle, Barça controlled possession but lacked precision in the final third. Crosses from Raphinha and Lamine Yamal went untouched, and a dangerous free kick from Robert Lewandowski flew over the bar. It was the kind of game where one lapse could be fatal, almost was, when Adrià Altimira forced Wojciech Szczesny into a brilliant save early on.
Things got physical quickly. A tight, tense first half saw few clear chances but plenty of collisions. Balde’s injury after a clash with Altimira forced Flick to adjust, and Leganés nearly took advantage. Dani Raba’s burst of speed before halftime exposed a shaky Barça backline, and only Szczesny’s reflexes saved the lead. Despite dominating the ball, Barcelona lacked cutting edge. The breakthrough came in the second half, with De Jong on to improve ball circulation. Raphinha whipped in a low cross, Sáenz panicked, and the ball ended up in his net. Ugly goal. Perfect timing.
The rest was survival. Fermín Lopez missed a golden chance to kill the game. Lewandowski came close with a header. Lamine tested Marko Dmitrovic from a tight angle. Leganés threw everything forward in the final minutes, even scoring, though Raba was offside. Munir almost snatched a dramatic equalizer, but Iñigo Martínez made a heroic recovery in stoppage time. It wasn’t Barça’s best match of the season. Still, it was one of the most important. When rivals stumble, great teams step up. Real Madrid is on shaky ground, and Barcelona sent a clear message: they are back, hungry, and in no mood to offer second chances.
