La Liga leaders Barcelona continued their unbeaten streak, now at 24 games, but they were far from their best in a narrow victory against relegation-threatened Leganés.
They secured the win thanks to an own goal from Jorge Sáenz, who was inadvertently responsible for the mistake while trying to handle Raphinha’s enticing cross, with Robert Lewandowski lurking behind him for a potential tap-in.
Leganés, just two points from safety and having won the previous match between the teams in December, had the better chances in the first half. Adria Altimira forced a good save from Wojciech Szczęsny, and Dani Raba came close on two occasions.
After taking the lead, Hansi Flick’s side seemed to gain some control, with Fermin López inexplicably shooting wide after displaying excellent skill in a tight penalty area. However, they had to rely on luck as Raba had a goal disallowed for offside, and substitute Diego García missed a clear opportunity when well-placed to score.
This victory extends Barcelona’s lead at the top of the table to seven points, ahead of arch-rivals Real Madrid.
The team faced a setback in the first half when influential left-back Alejandro Balde had to leave the field due to injury. On another day, they could have easily conceded a goal.
Manager Flick’s team will next head to Germany for their Champions League quarter-final second-leg match on Tuesday.
