Barcelona vs Alaves: Olmo and Yamal send Blaugrana top of LALIGA

Like the game against Celta Vigo, Barcelona struggled to control the first half against Alaves, letting the game become an end-to-end affair in which both sides scored. Still, they went into the break ahead and controlled the second half to win 3-1.

Dani Olmo returned to scoring form, scoring in both halves, after Lamine Yamal cancelled out Pablo Ibanez's opener. With the win, Barcelona are not top of LALIGA, at least until tomorrow, when current leaders Real Madrid face Girona.

Alavés stunned the 48,000-strong Camp Nou crowd almost immediately. In the 1st minute, a corner found its way to Pablo Ibáñez, who stabbed home from close range.

Barcelona reacted and slowly built up rhythm. The equaliser eventually came in the 8th minute when Yamal seized on a loose ball inside the box and fired into the roof of the net to make it 1–1. 

Barcelona turned on the faucet and made it two in the 25th minute, when Olmo placed a precise finish beyond the keeper from a Raphinha cutback. 

After the break, it was all Barcelona. They had multiple chances to compound the scoreline, with Yamal, Olmo and Robert Lewandowski all testing the impressive Antonio Sivera. 

The third eventually came late into the game. Alaves’ head coach Eduardo Coudet brought on an extra attacker to chase the game. Barcelona exploited the newfound space behind, with Yamal setting up Olmo for his second of the evening and Barcelona's third.