La Liga top spot returned to Barcelona after a clear 3-0 victory over Levante in matchday 25.
The result came one day after Real Madrid’s defeat to Osasuna which opened the door for Barcelona to climb back to first place.
This win arrives at an important moment with key fixtures approaching in the league and Copa del Rey.
Barcelona claims an important win to return to the summit
Barcelona opened the scoring early through Marc Bernal who converted a cross from Eric Garcia inside the first five minutes. Bernal told Movistar he was happy to help the team and said the early goal brought confidence and calm.
The 18 year old midfielder recently returned from a long injury that kept him out for more than a year. He said he thought of his father and the physio during his celebration.
Barcelona slowed down after the opener which allowed Levante to create some chances against goalkeeper Joan Garcia. The visitors eventually regained control and doubled their lead through Frenkie de Jong after a pass from Joao Cancelo.
Second half control turns into a late third goal
Barcelona held nearly 75 percent possession in the second half. The third goal arrived in the 81st minute when substitute Fermin Lopez fired a powerful shot from distance that struck the post before settling in the net.
The win puts Barcelona on 61 points placing them one point ahead of Real Madrid. Levante remains nineteenth with 18 points.
Sevilla secures an important win in relegation battle
Sevilla earned a valuable 1-0 victory at Getafe in a match where the hosts were reduced to ten men in the twenty sixth minute after Djene Dakonam was sent off.
Swiss midfielder Djibril Sow scored the only goal in the sixty fourth minute giving Sevilla their first away win since September.
Updated standings for both teams
Sevilla now has 29 points in eleventh place sitting just above Getafe who have the same total. The gap remains only five points above the relegation zone making the win crucial for the Andalusian club.
Conclusion:
Barcelona’s return to the top of La Liga comes at a decisive stage of the season while Sevilla’s away victory strengthens their chances of avoiding the bottom three.
