Barcelona 3-0 Levante: Barça capitalise on Real Madrid loss and return to top of LaLiga table | OneFootball

Barcelona returned to winning ways – and the top of the LaLiga table – with a 3-0 victory against Levante at the Spotify Camp Nou.

Following Real Madrid’s dramatic late defeat to Osasuna on Saturday, Barça knew that three points in front of their home faithful would return them to pole position in the league standings after conceding the top spot at Girona six days ago.

Marc Bernal’s early strike put them on the right path, and the midfielder was involved in the blaugrana‘s second of the afternoon, which was tucked home by Frenkie de Jong before the break.

The hosts bagged their third inside the final ten minutes, with a spectacular Fermín López effort wrapping up proceedings.

As it happened

An early chance for Levante at the Spotify Camp Nou saw Carlos Álvarez unleash a strike into the arms of Joan García after just 20 seconds.

But from that point on, Barça wasted no time taking the lead as a recycled short corner presented Erin García to whip a cross into the box, which was calm slotted home by Marc Bernal for his second goal in as many home games.

The blaugrana could have scored their second of the afternoon mere minutes later, when a loose header back to Mathew Ryan presented Raphinha and then Robert Lewandowski with chances, although they fired their respective efforts against the goalkeeper and then over the woodwork.

After back-to-back defeats against Atlético Madrid and Girona, a Barcelona side in dire need of a statement return to winning ways continued their search, with Raphinha nodding a Jules Koundé cross wide of the target before João Cancelo’s delivery struck the base of the post after Lewandowski failed to get a strong head to it.

But the second goal did arrive eventually when Bernal’s pass out for Cancelo on the left allowed the full-back to steer a cross into the path of Frenkie de Jong for a close-range finish.

Hansi Flick’s men could, and perhaps should, have found a third soon after the break when Koundé saw his cross sent wide by Eric García before a teasing Dani Olmo delivery called Ryan into action to deny Gerard Martín’s header, though play was halted for a foul in the penalty area.

It was in the 81st minute that Barça finally found their long-awaited third, when a curling weak-footed strike from substitute Fermín López – who had been introduced alongside the returning Pedri – ricocheted off the inside of the near post and over the line, beyond the reach of goalkeeper Ryan.

Pedri could have registered a fantastic assist inside the final five minutes with a well-weighted through ball for Raphinha, although the forward was beaten to the ball by the Levante shotstopper.

Ryan was called upon once more in the dying seconds, producing a fine double save to deny a fierce Raphinha header and Fermín’s close-range follow-up.

Victory at the Spotify Camp Nou returns Barça to the top of the LaLiga table, while a fourth consecutive league defeat sees Levante remain inside the relegation zone, seven points adrift of safety.

ANALYSIS: Pendulum swings again as Barça pounce on dropped points

Just six days after conceding the top spot in LaLiga at the Estadi Montilivi, Barcelona have reclaimed control – and perhaps just as importantly restored a sense of calm.

Real Madrid’s defeat to Osasuna on Saturday handed the blaugrana an opportunity they simply could not afford to squander, and from the moment Marc Bernal slotted home the early opener, there was very little chance that Barça would let their lead slip.

Hansi Flick revealed that his players felt “fresher” after he afforded them two days off in the buildup to this clash at the Spotify Camp Nou, and it was evident in a composed, controlled performance given the high stakes.

There were moments of sheer spectacle, including Fermín López’s magnificent weak-foot effort for Barça’s third of the afternoon, but what was more impressive was the certainty with which the hosts played.

They faltered under pressure at Girona on Monday, still visibly affected by their Copa del Rey defeat to Atlético Madrid a few days prior – and there was just as much at stake on Sunday following Real Madrid’s dropped points at El Sadar.

But it didn’t seem to faze an impressive Barça, who seized the opportunity to return to the top of the table in what is rapidly proving to be a topsy-turvy title race.