The decisive moment came just four minutes into the match when Sergio Gonzalez of Leganes scored a header off a corner, beating Barcelona’s goalkeeper, Inaki Pena, and sending shockwaves through the Olympic Stadium. Despite battling an ankle injury, Barcelona’s teenage prodigy Lamine Yamal remained his side’s most dangerous player. The 17-year-old came close to leveling the score, firing just over the bar after bypassing Javi Hernandez. Though hampered by the injury, Yamal returned for the second half, and it was Dani Olmo who tried to set up Jules Kounde, but the defender’s shot drifted just wide of the target.
Leganes goalkeeper Marko Dmitrović was outstanding, particularly in the first half, while Barcelona’s attacking players struggled to make an impact. In response, coach Hansi Flick made the decision to substitute Robert Lewandowski, Dani Olmo, and Lamine Yamal in the final 25 minutes.
Barcelona, despite a strong start to the season, have struggled in recent weeks, managing just one win in their last six league matches and suffering three losses. This slump has allowed their rivals to close the gap in the title race. Under Hansi Flick, Barcelona now sits level on points with second-place Atletico Madrid, holding only a one-point advantage over third-place Real Madrid, with one more game played than both teams.
“It was a messed-up game, it’s impossible to be happy. I think we started the game half asleep,” Pedri told DAZN. “We woke up, we created chances but we didn’t have the spark we needed to get the goal. We have to be better in front of goal if we want to win points, we’re in a bad run in the league and we have to turn it around.”
Dani Olmo, Eric Garcia, and Marc Casado's reactions from the bench in the final minutes of Barcelona's loss to Leganes. pic.twitter.com/MfdwWEBHpv
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 15, 2024
Atletico will enter the match full of confidence after extending their winning streak to 11 matches in all competitions with a dominant performance on a chilly afternoon at the Wanda Metropolitano.
Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
