Barcelona scraped past Leganes with a 1-0 victory thanks to an own goal from Jorge Saenz, helping them extend their lead at the top of La Liga on Saturday. The win at Butarque stadium moves Barcelona seven points clear of their arch-rivals, Real Madrid, who are set to play Alaves on Sunday.
The match started with both teams struggling to create clear chances. Leganes, sitting just above the relegation zone, focused on frustrating Barcelona, slowing the game with tactical fouls and wasting time. Despite Hansi Flick naming a strong starting lineup, Barcelona found it difficult to break through, and Leganes had the best chance of the first half.
Dani Raba broke free on the left wing and delivered a perfect cross to Adria Altimira. However, Barcelona’s goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny made a crucial save to deny Leganes the lead. At the other end, Barcelona’s Jules Kounde saw his deflected shot saved by Leganes’ Marko Dmitrovic, but neither side managed to threaten much before the break.
In the 48th minute, Barcelona finally broke the deadlock, but in an unusual way. Raphinha’s low cross from the right flank found its way to Saenz, who, under pressure from Robert Lewandowski, deflected the ball into his own net. Barcelona’s players celebrated as if it was a goal scored by one of their own.
As the game wore on, Barcelona began to look more dangerous. Fermin Lopez had a great chance to double the lead but scuffed his shot wide of the post. Lewandowski, the league’s top scorer, came close to adding a second, but his header from a Raphinha cross narrowly missed. The young Lamine Yamal also tested Dmitrovic with a shot at his near post.
With 20 minutes remaining, Leganes thought they had equalized when Raba headed the ball into the net. However, the goal was ruled out for offside. Diego Garcia had a chance to level the score but shot wide when well-placed. In the dying moments of the match, former Barcelona player Munir El Haddadi had a great opportunity to score for Leganes, but a crucial tackle from Barcelona’s Inigo Martinez kept the ball out of the net, and Barcelona held on for the win.
After the match, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick praised his team’s mentality, saying, “The fight and the mentality the team showed today was great.” He noted that while the performance was not their best, the important thing was the three points. “We’re top of the table, which is where we want to be,” added Barcelona defender Eric Garcia.
