"Depending on penalties for a win", "Very poor performance" - Twitter reacts as Barcelona defeat Alaves 2-1 in La Liga fixture

Barcelona overturned an early setback to secure a 2-1 victory against Deportivo Alaves in their La Liga encounter on Sunday, November 12. Despite their club securing all three points, Barca fans were disappointed with the team's performance and expressed their dismay on Twitter (now known as X).

Alaves got off to a flying start, breaking the deadlock after just 17 seconds. A misplaced pass from Ilkay Gundogan was intercepted by Jon Guridi, who swiftly passed the ball to Javi Lopez. The left-back delivered a precise low cross to Samuel Omorodion, who slotted the ball past the goalkeeper with ease.

Buoyed by their early success, they could have extended their lead, with Omorodion having multiple opportunities. However, their failure to capitalize on these chances kept the scoreline at 1-0 at the end of the first half.

The second half saw a rejuvenated Barca side. Robert Lewandowski levelled the scores with a well-executed header from Jules Kounde's cross in the 53rd minute. Barcelona kept applying pressure and were finally awarded with a penalty after Abdelkabir Abqar fouled Ferran Torres in the box. Lewandowski confidently converted the spot-kick, securing a win for Barcelona.

This victory not only marked Barcelona's second consecutive win in the league but also kept them in close pursuit of Real Madrid, who occupy second place in the league table. Alaves, despite a valiant effort, remain in the lower half of the table. Twitter reacted to Barca's win, with one fan stating:

"Depending on penalties for a win"

Another added:

"Very poor performance"

Here is a selection of their tweets:

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Pedri makes first start for Barcelona since August during narrow win

Amidst the scrutiny surrounding Barcelona's performance against Alaves, the match did witness the return of Pedri, marking his first start for the club after an extended injury layoff since August.

Pedri's comeback, however, was not without its tense moments. During the match, Alaves' Ruben Duarte made a contentious challenge on Pedri, stepping on the young midfielder's ankle. The Blaugrana believed that the defender should've been sent off, but after consultation with VAR, a yellow card was deemed appropriate.

Pedri played for 81 minutes without aggravating his injury. He completed 98 passes in the match, including two key passes, and won two out of his four ground duels. The 20-year-old hasn't been selected for Spain's upcoming fixtures, which should give him enough time to rest and recover.