Barcelona reclaim LaLiga summit with dominant 6-1 victory over Alavés

Barcelona secured a 6-1 victory against Alavés at the Spotify Camp Nou, allowing them to return to the summit of LaLiga. This triumph, achieved with a reconfigured defensive unit, establishes a direct confrontation between the two leading sides at the Metropolitano.

Atlético Madrid had briefly occupied the top spot in LaLiga on 31 October after defeating Levante. Barcelona reclaimed the number one position within hours as Hansi Flick’s team dismantled Alavés before their home supporters. The result put an end to a two-match losing streak that had followed losses to PSG and Real Madrid.

According to the official LaLiga standings, Barcelona have netted 46 goals while conceding 12, yielding a goal difference of +34. In contrast, Atlético have scored 22 and conceded 8.

This fixture represented Barcelona’s first challenge since the Clásico, where Real Madrid triumphed 2-1 at Camp Nou on 25 October. Kylian Mbappé netted twice, with the second strike arriving in the 87th minute following Raphinha’s equaliser on 61 minutes. That loss halted a sequence of nine consecutive league victories at the beginning of the season.

Barcelona held a 4-0 advantage at halftime against Alavés.

Raphinha initiated the scoring in the 8th minute. Fermín López extended the lead with a second goal in the 23rd. Raphinha added another in the 41st, and Lamine Yamal secured the fourth in first-half stoppage time. Barcelona controlled 77% of possession before a crowd of 53,523.

Yamal’s second goal, scored in the 64th minute, was initially disallowed for offside. A VAR check determined that his run was onside. He was substituted shortly after to a standing ovation, with Gordon taking his place.

The former Newcastle winger found the net in the 81st minute, recording his first league goal for the club. He chased a through ball from Rodri and chipped the goalkeeper. Mariano Díaz reduced the deficit for Alavés in the 84th minute.

Player absences compelled Flick to reconstruct his defensive line.

Missing players left Flick with limited options at the back. Fariñas began at right-back and completed the full 90 minutes. Frenkie de Jong shifted to centre-back to partner with Cubarsí. João Cancelo filled the left-back position. Gerard Martín substituted De Jong in the 82nd minute.

Fariñas typically operates as a midfielder. Hailing from the Valencian Community, he joined Barcelona as an under-14 player in 2018. He possessed some experience in this position, having spent nearly thirty minutes at right-back in a 2-2 pre-season draw against Birmingham City on 31 July.

Fariñas noted that Flick had inquired about his willingness to play in that position, and that he felt nervous initially before becoming comfortable in the match.

The upcoming schedule intensifies. Barcelona will face Aston Villa in the fourth round of Champions League league-phase matches at Spotify Camp Nou on Tuesday 3 November, with kickoff scheduled for 21:00 local time.

Sources

• Standing of LALIGA EA SPORTS 2026/27 (LaLiga)
• FC Barcelona 6-1 Alavés: That’s more like it! (FC Barcelona)
• Tickets Atlético de Madrid – FC Barcelona (Atlético de Madrid)
• Barcelona 6-1 Alavés (Oct 31, 2026) Game Analysis (ESPN)