Barcelona Thrash Alavés 6-1 to Return to the Top of La Liga

Barcelona, beaten by Real Madrid in El Clásico last week, bounced back in emphatic fashion at home. A 6-1 rout of Alavés sent the Catalan club back to the top of the La Liga points table.

The defeat to Real Madrid had halted Barcelona's nine-match winning run. But the team returned to winning ways in this match, and did so by flooding their opponents with goals.

Raphinha and young star Lamine Yamal each scored twice for Barcelona. Fermín López added one, as did substitute Anthony Gordon.

Barcelona played attacking football from the start. In the eighth minute, Raphinha turned in a pass from Fermín López to put his side ahead.

Fifteen minutes later, in the 23rd minute, Fermín López scored himself. Late in the first half, Raphinha added his second and the team's third.

In first-half stoppage time (45+1), Lamine Yamal made it 4-0 with a superb half-volley at the end of a fine team move. The match was effectively decided before the break.

Barcelona kept attacking in the second half. In the 64th minute, Yamal chipped the ball over goalkeeper Antonio Sivera for his second goal and the team's fifth.

Substitute Anthony Gordon scored the sixth in the 81st minute. Late in the match, in the 84th minute, Mariano Díaz pulled back a consolation goal for Alavés, capitalising on a poor back pass by Rodri.

The win lifts Barcelona above Atlético Madrid to the top of the table with a two-point lead. Real Madrid, meanwhile, will play their next match four points behind Barcelona.

Barcelona's players also advanced in the scoring charts. His brace took Raphinha's league tally for the season to 15 goals, four more than Kylian Mbappé. Lamine Yamal sits third on the list with 10 goals.