Barcelona reclaimed the summit of La Liga with a commanding 3-0 victory over bottom-placed Real Oviedo at a rain-drenched Camp Nou on Sunday. The Catalans capitalised on defensive lapses from their opponents to secure three second-half goals, propelling them to 52 points, one clear of rivals Real Madrid, while Atlético Madrid trail in third on 44 points.
Barcelona Break Deadlock After Halftime
The match began with Barcelona struggling to penetrate a resilient Oviedo defence, despite early chances. Robert Lewandowski came close in the 33rd minute, narrowly missing with a header from a Lamine Yamal cross. Both teams exchanged opportunities late in the first half, with Barcelona keeper Joan Garcia saving a close-range effort from Chaira, and Oviedo's Aaron Escandell producing a stunning reflex stop to deny Raphinha's volley.
However, the deadlock was broken shortly after the interval due to a costly error. In the 52nd minute, Oviedo defender David Carmo hesitated while attempting to clear, allowing Lamine Yamal to press and deflect the ball into the path of Dani Olmo, who calmly slotted it into the bottom corner to give Barcelona the lead.
Raphinha and Yamal Seal the Win
Barcelona doubled their advantage just five minutes later, thanks to another self-inflicted mistake by Oviedo. Defender David Costas under-hit a back pass, which Raphinha intercepted before expertly chipping the onrushing keeper Escandell. The Catalans then wrapped up the victory in the 73rd minute with a moment of sheer brilliance from Lamine Yamal. Olmo delivered a perfectly weighted cross to the far post, where the Spanish teenager leapt to score with an exquisite scissor kick volley that nestled just inside the right post, capping a stunning individual performance.
Other European Football Highlights
In other La Liga action, Atlético Madrid cruised to a 3-0 win over relegation-threatened Mallorca, with goals from Alexander Sorloth, an own goal by David López, and a strike from substitute Thiago Almada. This result propelled Diego Simeone's side into third place, leapfrogging Villarreal.
Elsewhere in Europe, on-loan Real Madrid forward Endrick scored a hat-trick for Lyon in a 5-1 thrashing of Metz in Ligue 1, securing Lyon's eighth consecutive win across all competitions. In the Bundesliga, Stuttgart bounced back from a Europa League loss with a 3-0 victory at Borussia Mönchengladbach, featuring a goal from Deniz Undav.
In a historic moment in German football, former Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko, aged 39 and 314 days, scored on his debut for Schalke in a 2-2 comeback draw against Kaiserlautern, becoming the oldest player to score in the country's second Bundesliga. Looking ahead, Serie A features key matches, with Napoli travelling to Juventus and Roma hosting Milan, as the title race intensifies across Europe's top leagues.
