MADRID, Jan 24: Barcelona finally got things going its way, finding a late goal to end its winless run and go into the international break on a positive note.
Barcelona struggled again but Frenkie de Jong scored in the 87th minute to salvage a 1-0 victory at relegation-threatened Alavés in the Spanish league on Sunday, snapping its three-match winless streak that included elimination from the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup.
The win moved the Catalan club one point behind 4th-place Atlético Madrid in the final Champions League spot, and 15 points behind league leader Real Madrid with a game in hand.
Madrid needed a stoppage-time goal by Éder Militão to secure a 2-2 home draw against Elche. Madrid has a four-point advantage over Sevilla at the top after a tough day for Karim Benzema, who missed a penalty kick and later had to be replaced because of an injury.
Alavés vs FC Barcelona
De Jong scored from close range to give Barcelona the much-needed win against Alavés.
“It’s a crucial win to keep us fighting at the top,” Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández said. “The international break will be good for us. We will be able to recover some players and work on our game.”
Barcelona had won only twice in its last 10 away matches in the league, and it was coming off a draw at Granada when it conceded in the 89th.
Alavés is winless in its last 10 league matches, sitting in second-to-last place.
Real Madrid vs Elche
Lucas Boyé and Pere Milla scored a goal in each half to give Elche a 2-0 lead, but Madrid pulled closer with Luka Modric’s penalty kick in the 82nd and evened the match with Militão’s firm header off a cross by Vinícius Júnior. Vinícius, who also missed a few good chances, picked up a yellow card that will see him suspended from the next match.
Elche moved five points from the relegation zone.
Other Matches
Sixth-place Real Sociedad was held by Getafe to a 0-0 draw at home, while midtable Osasuna won 2-0 at Granada to end its 10-match winless streak in the league. (AP)
