La Liga: Barcelona Secures Narrow Win Against Leganes to Extend Lead

Synopsis

FC Barcelona fought hard for a narrow 1-0 victory against Leganes, allowing them to extend their lead over Real Madrid to seven points in La Liga. The match was decided by an own goal from Leganes, who had previously won at Camp Nou this season.

Key Takeaways

FC Barcelona secures a crucial win against Leganes.
Own goal from Leganes decides the match.
Barcelona maintains a seven-point lead over Real Madrid.
Real Madrid aims to recover against Alaves.
Remarkable comebacks are part of Real Madrid's history.

Madrid (Spain), April 13 (NationPress) FC Barcelona had to work hard to secure a 1-0 victory against the struggling Leganes, which allows them to maintain a seven-point advantage over their rivals Real Madrid at the top of the La Liga table. The match was decided by an own goal from Leganes, a team that had previously triumphed at the Camp Nou this season.

The first half was quite lively, with Leganes showing no fear against Barcelona and coming close to scoring through Dani Raba on several occasions.

Barcelona took the lead early in the second half when Gerard Martin, who had replaced the injured Alejandro Balde, won possession in midfield and passed the ball to Raphinha. The Brazilian's attempt to cross to Robert Lewandowski inadvertently led to Jorge Saenz of Leganes sliding the ball into his own net, as reported by Xinhua.

In other matches, Cyle Larin and Sergi Darder each scored for Mallorca, defeating Real Sociedad 2-0, thus hindering the latter's chances of qualifying for European competition next season.

Larin opened the scoring after Ander Barrenetxea lost possession 20 minutes into the game, and Darder doubled the lead with a strong shot just after halftime.

Roberto Fernandez netted twice as Espanyol achieved a significant 2-0 away victory, alleviating some of their relegation anxiety. Meanwhile, Las Palmas snapped a 12-match winless streak with a 3-1 win against Getafe, providing a much-needed boost for their survival prospects.

On the other hand, Real Madrid is eager to bounce back against Alaves on Sunday, aiming to reduce the gap with FC Barcelona to four points, following a shocking 0-3 defeat to Arsenal in the first leg of the European competition quarterfinals.

With Real Madrid at a critical juncture in both their La Liga and UEFA Champions League campaigns, head coach Carlo Ancelotti is focused on restoring the team’s confidence against Alaves this Sunday.

Despite facing a daunting three-goal deficit in the return leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, if any club can mount such a comeback, it is Real Madrid. The club, a record 15-time tournament winner, has a history of pulling off remarkable recoveries in the last decade.