Lewandowski scores winner as Barcelona beats Alaves to move closer to the top in Spanish league

MADRID (AP) — There was no rout this time but Barcelona still prevailed Sunday with Robert Lewandowski scoring a second-half winner as the Catalan club beat Alaves 1-0 to move within four points of rival Real Madrid at the top of the Spanish league.

“It’s not every time that we will be able to score three, four or five goals in a game,” Lewandowski said. “We had to be patient and in the end we did what we had to do, which was to score one more goal than our opponent.”

Madrid lost 1-0 at Espanyol on Saturday after a run of 10 victories in its last 11 matches in all competitions.

Third-placed Barcelona is three points behind second-placed Atletico Madrid, which ended a two-match winless streak in the league with a 2-0 victory against Mallorca on Saturday.

“We knew we had to win this match,” Lewandowski said. “We needed the victory. We had lost too many points in the league already.”

It was an unusually low-scoring game for Barcelona, which had claimed 14 goals in its last three matches — including a 7-1 rout of Valencia in the league.

Lewandowski scored his fourth goal in as many matches across all competitions, and his seventh in the last eight games.

The Poland striker scored from close range after a volley by Lamine Yamal from inside the area deflected off a defender.

Yamal had amazed the crowd only a few minutes into the game, using nifty moves to get past six defenders in a run that ended with Raphinha sending a shot wide of the net.

Alaves, which ended with no attempts on target, stayed inside the relegation zone with the loss. It has won only one of its last 11 matches in all competitions.

Barcelona midfielder Gavi and Alaves forward Tomás Conechny had to be substituted in the first half after a collision of heads while going for the ball about 10 minutes into the match at Montjuic stadium.

Gavi left the field on his own but Conechny was carried off on a stretcher and taken to a local hospital for further tests.

Alaves said Conechny sustained a head trauma and was expected to spend the night in the hospital.

Second-to-last Valencia rebounded from the embarrassing 7-1 loss at Barcelona with a 2-1 home victory over 13th-placed Celta Vigo, which is winless in its last five matches across all competitions. Valencia won two in a row at home in the league for the first time this season. It beat Real Sociedad 1-0 two rounds ago.

Ante Budimir scored a goal in each half as seventh-placed Osasuna defeated 11th-placed Sociedad 2-1 at home. It was the third straight league loss for Sociedad.

Osasuna won for the first time after nine consecutive league matches without a victory, with its last win in the competition coming against last-place Valladolid back in November.

Fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao missed a chance to move even closer to the top three after a 2-2 draw at ninth-placed Real Betis. Athletic twice came from behind to earn the draw in Seville.

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Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski, centre, jumps for the ball during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Alaves at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday Feb. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski celebrates after scoring the opening goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Alaves at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday Feb. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski celebrates after scoring the opening goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Alaves at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday Feb. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski winks as he celebrates after scoring the opening goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Alaves at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday Feb. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Alaves' Ander Guevara, left and Barcelona's Fermin Lopez fall during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Alaves at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday Feb. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Alaves' Ander Guevara, falls by Barcelona's Fermin Lopez, right, during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Alaves at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday Feb. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Barcelona's head coach Hansi Flick gestures during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Alaves at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday Feb. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski, left, celebrates after scoring the opening goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Alaves at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday Feb. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

ATLANTA (AP) — The Red Sox placed struggling shortstop Trevor Story on the 10-day injured list with a sports hernia Saturday.

Boston promoted utility player Nick Sogard from Triple-A Worcester to take Story's roster spot.

Story played in 41 of Boston's first 43 games before sitting out the opener of a three-game series at Atlanta on Friday night. He is batting .206 with three homers in his fifth season with the Red Sox. He has also committed six errors. His .547 OPS ranks 165th of 173 qualified hitters.

Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said Story has been dealing with the injury since spring training and recently decided he would stop trying to play through it. Story is seeking out additional opinions to see if surgery will be needed.

“Everybody’s still on the information-gathering part of that, and then once you get that, there’s various routes to go,” Tracy said. “You've got to know exactly what he’s dealing with first, so we got to get all that information.”

Andruw Monasterio started in Story’s place Friday night against the Braves and was in the lineup again Saturday. He is hitting .258 in 22 games this season. Tracy said the team will evaluate the possibility of moving second baseman Marcelo Mayer to shortstop if it appears Story will be out for a while.

A two-time All-Star, Story joins outfielder Roman Anthony (right wrist sprain) and Garrett Crochet (left shoulder inflammation) on the IL for the Red Sox, who are last in the AL East. Anthony did some throwing for the second straight day before the game and Crochet threw a 35-pitch side session.

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Boston Red Sox third baseman Caleb Durbin, left, fields a ground out by Philadelphia Phillies' Trea Turner, as shortstop Trevor Story (10) backs him up, during the first inning of a baseball game, Thursday, May 14, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)