Lamine Yamal, Raphinha help Barcelona hammer Alaves to retain Liga top spot

Raphinha and Lamine Yamal have each struck twice as Barcelona have thrashed Alaves 6-1 to reclaim their La Liga lead and obtain back on track after two damaging defeats previously week.

Key points

• Earlier in Valencia, Diego Simeone's Atletico had temporarily climbed a point clear of the Catalan giants with goals from Alejandro Grimaldo and Giuliano Simeone against Levante.
• Barcelona host Aston Villa in the Champions League on Tuesday and travel to face Atletico next Sunday in a table-topping La Liga clash.
• Among Sunday's fixtures, Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid, in third, will visit Racing Santander.
• The teenage winger netted again midway through the second half, and substitute Anthony Gordon chipped home Barca's sixth before Mariano Diaz pulled one back for Alaves.
• There was no better place than Camp Nou in front of our fans, Lopez informed Movistar.

Earlier, Atletico Madrid, in second, earned a solid 2-0 win at Levante, but Barca moved two points clear of the Rojiblancos by routing the Basque visitors at Camp Nou on Saturday.

Still stinging after a Champions League defeat by Paris Saint-Germain and then last weekend's La Liga home El Clasico loss against rivals Real Madrid, Hansi Flick's side discovered their groove once more on Saturday.

Raphinha netted twice in the first half on either side of a Fermin Lopez strike, and Yamal discovered the net just before the interval.

Notably, the teenage winger netted again midway through the second half, and substitute Anthony Gordon chipped home Barca's sixth before Mariano Diaz pulled one back for Alaves.

"It was a hard week for us. There was no better place than Camp Nou in front of our fans, " Lopez informed Movistar.

"They create the difference, Lamine and Raphinha. With them, we will achieve major things."

There was a minute of silence at the start of each of the day's matches in memory of the 69 individuals killed on Wednesday in a train crash in the province of Toledo.

Alaves have now gone seven matches without a win but are 10th.

"We have to turn the page quickly, " midfielder Ander Guevara remarked. "We don't need to sound the alarms. We know we're on a bad run, but we're a mature and humble team." Seventh win in a row for Atletico.

Atletico recorded a seventh consecutive league win to continue their solid form and put pressure on the reigning champions. "I'm very happy with the team's work, " coach Simeone informed Movistar.

"We're particularly far from the end of the season. We'll keep going game by game."

Alex Baena, the visitors' main creative outlet, set up both goals as Diego Simeone recorded his 344th La Liga win at the helm of Atletico, matching the club's record set by Luis Aragones.

"I don't feel it much as mine, but it belongs to my players, everyone who has been with me for so many years, " remarked Simeone, who kicked off coaching Atletico in 2011.

For now, lamine Yamal, Raphinha help Barcelona hammer Alaves to retain Liga top spot remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.