Madrid, Dec. 1 - Barcelona kicks off December today perched at the top of LaLiga in Spain, after the dethroned leader, Real Madrid, drew for the third consecutive time.
With the surprise of an early goal in the first minute by Pablo Ibañez for Alavés, the Blaugrana quickly recovered, and young Lamine Yamal equalized in the eighth minute before Dani Olmo gave them the lead in the 26th.
However, the score would not change until the final moments, with Alavés showing persistent resistance and threat, until Olmo himself secured tranquility in the 93rd minute for a 3-1 finish.
This success somewhat masks the 0-3 defeat in the Champions League against Chelsea and unexpectedly places Barcelona at the top of the table, although they face a close challenge from Atlético Madrid this Tuesday.
Xabi Alonso's Merengues, despite regaining their two star center-backs, Brazilian Eder Militao and German Antonio Rudiger, once again struggled against a Girona team that is having a tough season.
In any case, the Catalan club opened the scoring with a stunning goal from Moroccan Azzedine Ounahi from the edge of the area in the 45th minute. Although Real Madrid dominated in the second half, they only managed to equalize with a penalty on Brazilian Vinicius Junior, converted by Frenchman Kylian Mbappé in the 67th minute.
The 1-1 draw is the third consecutive for "Los Blancos," following a 2-2 draw with Elche and a 0-0 against Rayo Vallecano, none of which are top-tier teams in the tournament.
For Mbappé, it was his fourteenth goal of the competition, once again showcasing his high level, although he missed a shot in stoppage time just before the 94th minute that could have meant victory.
The LaLiga landscape at the top could change dramatically this week. The matches featuring the Supercopa finalists on Tuesday and Wednesday carry significant intrigue.
A resurgent Atlético Madrid, with six consecutive wins in the Spanish league and the motivation of defeating Inter Milan 2-1 in the Champions League, will test their mettle against Barcelona at Camp Nou this Tuesday.
Then, a questioned Real Madrid that has yet to convince and has Xabi Alonso at the center of a storm will clash with Athletic Bilbao, who also had a rough start but recently enjoyed success against Levante with a 2-0 win and plays at home in their impressive San Mamés Stadium in the Basque city.
From matchday 14 of the league, it's worth noting Atlético's victory over bottom-placed Real Oviedo and Betis' dominance over Sevilla with a 2-0 win in the Andalusian derby, always accompanied by tensions that fortunately did not escalate further.
Additionally, Villarreal's confirmation in third place after overcoming Real Sociedad 3-2.
