FC Barcelona Steadily Returns To The Top Of La Liga

Barcelona’s roller-coaster fortnight ended on a note of calm authority at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, where a workmanlike 3-0 victory over Levante UD lifted the Blaugrana back to the summit of La Liga and offered proof that their title credentials remain intact despite recent turbulence.

The Catalans arrived at the weekend fixture bruised by back-to-back setbacks: a bruising 4-0 Copa del Rey semi-final reverse at Atlético de Madrid and a league defeat to high-flying Girona that had surrendered first place only four days earlier. With morale in need of rapid repair, Hansi Flick’s side wasted no time reasserting control. Inside four minutes 17-year-old midfielder Marc Bernal arrowed a low shot beyond Mathew Ryan, igniting the home crowd and settling early nerves.

The early breakthrough invited sustained pressure. Barcelona monopolised possession, probing patiently until the 32nd minute, when João Cancelo threaded a sumptuous pass between Levante’s centre-backs for Frenkie de Jong to side-foot home a second. The hosts carried the 2-0 advantage into the interval, the only blemish a stoppage for Iván Romero’s injury.

The second period followed a similar script: Barcelona dictating tempo, Levante repelling waves of attacks. Flick turned to his bench on 65 minutes, introducing Pedri—greeted by a deafening roar after injury exile—alongside Ferran Torres and Fermín López. The final substitution proved decisive. Twenty minutes from time, López collected possession 25 metres out, unleashed a drive that clipped the upright and nestled in the net for a decisive third.

The scoreline never budged again, the closing stages unfolding as a controlled exercise in game management rather than spectacle. Yet the outcome carried disproportionate significance: Real Madrid’s 2-1 loss at CA Osasuna hours earlier meant Barcelona leapfrogged their eternal rivals by a single point and opened a 13-point cushion over third-placed Villarreal.

While the performance lacked the fireworks of their early-season best, the three points restored order at the top of the table and reminded pursuers that, even amid adversity, Flick’s squad retains the composure to grind out results when it matters most.