Raphinha sets up 2, Olmo scores double as Barcelona rebounds back from Chelsea defeat

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Raphinha set up two early goals and Dani Olmo scored a double as Barcelona fought back for a 3-1 win over Alaves in La Liga on Saturday following the poor showing at Chelsea in the Champions League.

Lamine Yamal also delivered an inspired performance to shake off Barcelona’s 3-0 loss at Stamford Bridge midweek, when he was unable to show his usual attacking flair. The 18-year-old star scored Barcelona’s equalizer, delivered an assist and went close twice to adding another goal against Alaves, including a shot off the post late in the first half.

Raphina twice raced behind the defense on the left side of the area before squaring passes for Yamal and Olmo to score in the eighth and 26th minutes.

Olmo added a third goal in stoppage time when he worked a one-two passing combination with Yamal before firing home.

A key player in Barcelona’s domestic title double last season, Raphinha looked like his old incisive self at Camp Nou in his first start in two months since recovering from a right hamstring injury. He played limited minutes in a win over Athletic Bilbao last weekend and at Chelsea as a late substitute before Hansi Flick gave him the start.

Flick praised Raphinha for his effort in attack and defense, above all because his pressing was contagious among his teammates.

“Rafa (Raphinha) is a player who is dynamic,” Flick said. “We missed him.”

Barcelona’s fourth straight win in La Liga lifted it two points ahead of Real Madrid at the top of the standings before Madrid visits Girona on Sunday.

Raphinha said that the team can still improve.

“Flick believes that we are not playing at our best, and I agree,” Raphinha said. “Even so, the important thing today was getting the win. We know we are not at our best, but we are working and I am sure we will get back to playing our best this season.”

Barcelona got another boost with the return of Pedri González after spending a month without its top playmaker.

Pedri went on with half an hour left, replacing Raphinha. The Spain midfielder had been out a month with a left-leg muscle injury.

Yamal’s shot into the top of the net cancelled out an opening-minute goal by Pablo Ibánez, when Barcelona failed to defend an Alaves corner and the attacking midfielder tapped in from close range.

Alaves, which has struggled to score all season, proved much more dangerous than expected. With the score at 1-1, Barcelona goalkeeper Joan García had to stretch to block a shot by Calebe.

Barcelona apologized to some 7,500 fans who had trouble entering the stadium due to a technical issue with their digital tickets. The club said all except 300 affected ticket holders were eventually able to enter.

Alexander Sorloth scored twice in the first half to lead Atletico Madrid’s 2-0 win over Real Oviedo, as Diego Simeone’s team moved into third place and three points off Barcelona’s lead.

Atletico visits Barcelona on Tuesday.

Nico Williams scored and hit the woodwork as the Spain forward shone in Athletic Bilbao's 2-0 victory at Levante.

Mallorca striker Vedat Muriqi scored twice but Osasuna got two late goals for a 2-2 draw in the Balearic Islands.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Barcelona's Dani Olmo celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Alaves, in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Barcelona's Raphinha, right, duels for the balls with Alaves' Nahuel Tenaglia during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Alaves, in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Barcelona's Dani Olmo celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Alaves, in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Barcelona's Lamine Yamal celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Alaves, in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Barcelona's Dani Olmo, back, celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Alaves, in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

SYDNEY (AP) — Belinda Bencic won her eighth match of the week and combined with Jakub Paul in the deciding mixed doubles to defeat Belgium's Elise Mertens and Zizou Bergs 6-3, 0-6, 10-5 Saturday to qualify Switzerland for the United Cup final.

Bencic has won all four of her singles matches and four in mixed doubles this week in the team event. Paul, who won just six tour-level doubles matches last year, hit several down-the-line winners at crucial moments to lead Switzerland into Sunday's final against either the defending champion United States or Poland, who played their semifinal later Saturday.

“He’s so brave it’s unbelievable,” Bencic said of Paul. “I tell him to go (for it) and he actually goes. It’s crazy."

Earlier, Bencic extended her undefeated season-opening singles streak when she beat Mertens 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (0) to put Switzerland ahead 1-0. But Stan Wawrinka, who will retire at the end of this season, was beaten 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-3 by Bergs to send the match to a mixed doubles decider at Ken Rosewall Arena.

The turning point in the Wawrinka-Bergs match came in the eighth game of the third set when Bergs broke Wawrinka’s serve to go up 5-3, then held serve to win the match.

Tournament organizers started play 30 minutes earlier than scheduled with searing temperatures of up to 43 Celsius (109 Fahrenheit) in the forecast for Sydney.

Bencic had won all six sets in her first three matches at the United Cup. She was two games away from another two-set win before Mertens pushed the match the distance.

Then Mertens came from 3-1 down in the third set, saved a pair of break points that would have given Bencic a 4-1 lead, and was two points away from the set win with Bencic serving at 30-30, down 6-5.

But Bencic won the last nine points of the match following a decision to change her racket to a freshly-strung one, taking the match in 2 hours, 37 minutes.

“It feels like 170 kilos fell off my shoulders — I was so stressed; I really wanted to do well, and today I felt so much pressure to not let my team down,” Bencic said.

On the racket change, she said: “My brain turned off and let my instincts take over. I think it was just a feeling."

Later Saturday in the other semifinal, No. 2-ranked Iga Świątek of Poland was scheduled to face No. 4 Coco Gauff of the United States and Hubert Hurkacz played American Taylor Fritz. A mixed doubles match would be played if the teams were level after the singles.

In the Poland-Australia quarterfinal on Friday, it took a mixed doubles decider to separate the teams.

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Belinda Bencic, left, and Jakub Paul of Switzerland celebrate winning a point against Alise Mertens and Zizou Bergs of Belgium during their semifinal doubles match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Zizou Bergs of Belgium hits a backhand to Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland during their semifinal match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Zizou Bergs of Belgium, right, Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland shake hands after Bergs won their semifinal match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Belinda Bencic, second right, and Jakub Paul, right, of Switzerland shake hands with Alise Mertens, left, and Zizou Bergs of Belgium after Switzerland won their semifinal doubles match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Alise Mertens of Belgium looks up after a rally against Belinda Bencic of Switzerland in their semifinal match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Belinda Bencic of Switzerland, left and Alise Mertens of Belgium meet at the net after Bencic won their semifinal match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Belinda Bencic of Switzerland celebrates her win over Alise Mertens of Belgium in their semifinal match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Belinda Bencic of Switzerland, second left, celebrates with teammates after her win over Alise Mertens of Belgium in their semifinal match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)