Lewandowski’s First-Half Hat-Trick Lifts Barcelona to Victory at Alaves

Robert Lewandowski fired Barcelona back to the top of La Liga with a dazzling first-half hat-trick in a commanding 3-0 win over Alaves. The victory restored Barcelona’s three-point lead, coming after Real Madrid briefly drew level with their own victory over Villarreal the previous evening.

Barcelona, determined to bounce back after last weekend’s upset against Osasuna, dominated from the start. Lewandowski set the tone early, heading home from a beautifully curled cross by Raphinha to open the scoring. The Polish striker quickly doubled Barca’s lead, finishing from close range after more fine play from the Brazilian.

Lewandowski completed his hat-trick before the break, coolly slotting a shot past Alaves goalkeeper Antonio Sivera after receiving a well-timed pass from Eric Garcia. With this performance, the 36-year-old now boasts 12 goals in 11 games across all competitions for Barcelona, who continue to average over three goals per game in La Liga.

Alaves threatened sporadically but were denied a potential goal just before halftime when Toni Martinez’s strike was ruled out for offside in the build-up. Ultimately, Barcelona’s control and Lewandowski’s brilliance proved too much for the hosts, ensuring a comfortable win for Hansi Flick’s side.