Barcelona took advantage of two defensive mistakes from bottom-of-the-table Real Oviedo to claim a 3-0 win at the rainy Camp Nou on Sunday, regaining top spot in La Liga.
Goals from Dani Olmo, Raphinha and an acrobatic strike from Lamine Yamal lifted the Catalans to 52 points, one ahead of Real Madrid, while Atletico Madrid are in third place with 44.
Barcelona struggled to break the deadlock against feisty Oviedo until finally finding the breakthrough in the 52nd minute, with Olmo slamming home after a defensive error.
Five minutes later Oviedo’s struggles deepened, with defender David Costas missing a back pass, which Raphinha intercepted before calmly teeing up the onrushing keeper Aaron Escandell to double Barcelona’s lead.
Yamal rounded off Barcelona’s victory by scoring in the 73rd minute with a brilliant acrobatic volley from Olmo’s cross.
In persistent rain that later turned to hail, Barcelona started slowly as Oviedo, with just two wins all season, threatened to shock their hosts.
Moroccan Ilyas Chaira came close in the 29th minute, shooting narrowly wide from the edge of the penalty area after a quick counter-attack. A few minutes earlier, Haissem Hassan also caused concern in Barcelona’s backline with a quick breakthrough forward.
Barcelona were missing the injured Pedri, who will miss a month due to a muscle problem suffered in their recent Champions League victory over Slavia Prague, and lacked their usual creativity in midfield.
Robert Lewandowski came close to breaking the deadlock in the 33rd minute, narrowly missing the target with a header from Yamal’s inviting cross as the Catalans began to find their feet.
Both teams traded late chances in the first half, with Barcelona keeper Joan Garcia saving Chaira’s close-range effort, while Oviedo’s Escandell produced a stunning reflex stop to deny Raphinha’s volley.
Barcelona finally broke through after the break, thanks to a costly mistake. Oviedo defender David Carmo hesitated as he tried to clear, allowing Yamal to push the ball into Olmo’s path and deflect it.
The midfielder calmly slotted into the bottom corner in the 52nd minute to put the home side ahead, while Raphinha extended Barcelona’s lead five minutes later thanks to another self-inflicted wound from Oviedo.
«That’s our idea, to press high up the pitch and try to win the ball back as quickly as possible. It’s a shame what happened to their defenders, but that’s what I have to do,» Raphinha told DAZN.
«We knew it wouldn’t be easy. They are a team that puts pressure on you and tries to play with the ball. I don’t think we were at our best in the first half, but in the second half we managed to score the goals and that’s the most important thing, what we were looking for.»
Yamal put the result beyond doubt in the 73rd minute with a moment of brilliance. Olmo’s perfectly weighted cross found the Spanish teenager at the far post, where he leapt to score with a beautiful scissor-kick volley that nestled just inside the right post.
Heavy rain turned to hail as the match progressed, forcing many fans to flee the stands for cover, leaving Camp Nou virtually empty in the final minutes.
Despite the stormy conditions, Barcelona controlled the rest of the match and secured a crucial three points to regain pole position in the title race.
Published on January 26, 2026
