Barcelona needed a goal from Jorge Saenz to lead Legans 1-0 and move to seven points away from Real Madrid at the top of the Liga on Saturday. On Sunday, the second -class champions face the Alaves and must play the catch -up after the Hansi Flick team has made their way to a narrow but vital victory on the road. The Catalan giants are fighting for a quadruple potential this season and took another small step towards the title of the League at the Stadium Butarch.
“The fight and the mentality that the team has shown today was great,” said Flick, whose team beat Borussia Dortmund 4-0 in the quarter-final of the Champions League on Wednesday.
“(Madrid) has a match tomorrow but we only look at each other, three points, it’s good and we had a great week.”
Despite the Barça screen without style and danger to the goal they showed for a large part of the season, the players vehemently celebrated at the end.
“In the end, what is important in these matches is three points,” said Barça defender Eric Garcia in Dazn.
“I think this is the type of game where the league is won … We are at the top of the table, where we want to be, and today we could extend this distance a little.”
Barcelona lost 1-0 at home against Leganes in December in a crisis in which they shot in 2025, now 24 undefeated consecutive games since the start of the year.
Madrid’s men were set up to frustrate as they did during the first meeting, slowing down the game with tactical faults and the occasional point of loss of time.
Despite the selection of Flick, Barcelona had a hard time creating a danger and the hosts had the best chances of the first half.
Dani Raba freed himself on the left, with Inigo Martinez who has trouble following, and he set up Adria Altimira.
Barcelona’s goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, made a good stop to thwart the Spanish, whose shot was too close to the Polish veteran.
At the other end, a deflected effort by Jules Kounde was beaten by Marko Dmitrovic, who was not tested further in the first half.
Raba struck a shot closely on Target for the side of Borja Jimenez and Barcelona removed defender Alejandro Balde before the break when he seemed to undergo a muscle injury.
“Balde is not so good … (but) I won’t say anything and we will wait until tomorrow,” said Flick.
“As if it was a goal”
The coach sent Frenkie de Jong for Ronald Araujo at halftime, relaxing Eric Garcia in Defense, and Barcelona quickly took the lead.
With Robert Lewandowski who hides behind him, Saenz has diverted Raphinha’s weak crossroads in his own net.
With legacies forced to open a little, Barcelona began to threaten more frequently.
Fermin Lopez should have doubled Barcelona’s advance after showing tenacity to make his way in the box, but scratched his shot largely.
The top scorer in La Liga, Lewandowski, led a closely wide head of another rumped raphinha cross, and the teenage star also silent Lamine Yamal forced a backup of Dmitrovic at his nearby post.
With 20 minutes to go, Raba returned to his house for Leganes, but had moved away from the offside and the goal was prohibited.
Diego Garcia may have leveled but led a wide shot of the distant pole of Szczesny when it is well placed.
At the time of judgment, the former Barça striker, Munir El Haddadi, crossed the goal of Leganes, but was thwarted by a superb Martinez tackle who won the victory of his team.
“The last judgment (from Martinez) was incredible,” said Flick. “Everyone celebrated it as if it was a goal.”
Leganes, 19th, is two points from security after defeat.
“It’s so difficult … We leave with empty hands against a Barça that, although it is true that they have attacked against us, they were not as effective as usual, and you go with a bitter feeling because we have put a great performance,” said Legans midfielder, Renato Tapia, in Dazn.
“We can do it (standing), and I think that today we have shown it.”
(This story has not been published by NDTV staff and is automatically generated from a unionized flow.)
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