Barcelona escaped a frustrating evening in Madrid with a narrow 1-0 win over Leganés, thanks to an own goal that spared their blushes and extended their lead atop La Liga.
The defending champions struggled to impose themselves for large stretches at Butarque Stadium, finding few answers against a stubborn Leganés side fighting for survival. It took an accidental touch from Leganés defender Jorge Sáenz early in the second half to finally separate the teams, redirecting a Raphinha cross past his own goalkeeper.
Despite controlling possession, Barcelona lacked fluency in the final third, with chances rare and the home side happy to disrupt the rhythm with fouls and delays. Wojciech Szczęsny, starting in goal for Barca, was called into action late in the first half, producing a critical save to deny Adria Altimira after a rare Leganés breakaway.
Manager Hansi Flick made changes at the break, introducing Frenkie de Jong to bolster the midfield, and the adjustment paid off almost immediately. Barcelona looked sharper after the restart, though their only breakthrough came via misfortune for Leganés rather than their own invention.
With the hosts forced to chase the game, Barcelona found more openings but failed to capitalize. Youngster Lamine Yamal forced a save, while Robert Lewandowski, unusually quiet, headed just wide.
Leganés thought they had snatched an equalizer when Dani Raba’s header hit the net, only to be denied by an offside flag. Moments later, Diego García squandered a golden opportunity, shooting wide from close range.
A late surge from Leganés nearly spoiled Barca’s night, with former Blaugrana forward Munir El Haddadi racing through on goal in stoppage time, but Inigo Martínez’s last-ditch tackle preserved the slim advantage.
Post-match, a visibly disappointed Renato Tapia reflected on what might have been for Leganés. “We played a brave match. It’s tough to accept this kind of loss because they didn’t overpower us—luck played a big part.”
For Barcelona, it wasn’t pretty, but it was enough. With Real Madrid set to play Sunday, the Catalan club tightened their grip on the title race, inching one step closer to their domestic ambitions amid an intense multi-front campaign.
Leganés remain stuck in the relegation zone, with survival hopes still hanging by a thread.
