Yamal and Raphinha Score Twice Each as Barcelona Thrash Alaves 6-1 to Return to Top of La Liga

Raphinha and Lamine Yamal each scored twice as Barcelona thrashed Alaves 6-1 to reclaim their La Liga lead and get back on track after two damaging defeats in the past week. The win came at Camp Nou on Saturday.

Earlier, Atletico Madrid, in second, earned a solid 2-0 win at Levante. But Barca moved two points clear of Atletico by routing the Basque visitors.

Barcelona were still stinging after a Champions League defeat by Paris Saint-Germain and then last weekend's La Liga home El Clasico loss against rivals Real Madrid. Hansi Flick's side found their groove once more on Saturday.

Raphinha netted twice in the first half on either side of a Fermin Lopez strike, and Yamal found the net just before the interval.

The teenage winger netted again midway through the second half, and substitute Anthony Gordon chipped home Barca's sixth before Mariano Diaz pulled one back for Alaves.

Lopez told Movistar it was a hard week for them and there was no better place than Camp Nou in front of their fans to bounce back. They make the difference, Lamine and Raphinha, he said; with them, they will achieve big things.

There was a minute of silence at the start of each of the day's matches in memory of the 69 people killed on Wednesday in a train crash in the province of Toledo.

Barcelona host Aston Villa in the Champions League on Tuesday and travel to face Atletico next Sunday in a table-topping La Liga clash.

Alaves have now gone seven matches without a win but are 10th. Midfielder Ander Guevara said they have to turn the page quickly and do not need to sound the alarms; they are on a bad run, but they are a mature and humble team.

Earlier in Valencia, Diego Simeone's Atletico had temporarily climbed a point clear of the Catalan giants with goals from Alejandro Grimaldo and Giuliano Simeone against Levante. Alex Baena, the visitors' main creative outlet, set up both goals as Simeone recorded his 344th La Liga win at the helm of Atletico, matching the club record set by Luis Aragones. Simeone, who started coaching Atletico in 2011, said he was very happy with the team's work, they are very far from the end of the season, and they will keep going game by game.

Among Sunday's fixtures, Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid, in third, will visit Racing Santander.