Own goal helps La Liga leader Barca beat Leganes

LEGANES, Spain — Barcelona needed a Jorge Saenz own goal to edge Leganes 1-0 and move seven points clear of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga on Saturday.

The Catalan giant is fighting for a potential quadruple this season, and took another small step toward the league title at Butarque Stadium.

"The fight and the mentality the team showed today was great," said Flick, whose side beat Borussia Dortmund 4-0 in the Champions League quarterfinals first leg on Wednesday.

" (Madrid) have a match tomorrow, but we're only looking at ourselves, three points is good. We had a great week."

Despite Barca's display lacking the style and danger in front of goal that it has shown for much of the season, the players celebrated vehemently at the end.

"In the end, what is important in these games are three points," Barca defender Eric Garcia told DAZN.

"I think this is the type of game where the league is won... we're top of the table, which is where we want to be, and today we could extend that lead a bit."

Barcelona lost 1-0 at home against Leganes in December, during a slump that it has turned around in 2025, going 24 consecutive matches unbeaten since the turn of the year.

The Madrid-based minnow set up to frustrate, as it did in the first meeting, slowing the game with tactical fouls and the occasional spot of time-wasting.

Despite Flick selecting a strong side, Barcelona found it hard to create danger, and the host had the best chance of an ugly first half.

Dani Raba broke free down the left, with Inigo Martinez struggling to keep up, and he teed up Adria Altimira.

Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny made a fine save to thwart the Spaniard, whose shot was too close to the Polish veteran.

At the other end, a deflected Jules Kounde effort was batted out by Marko Dmitrovic, who was not tested further in the first half.

Raba lashed a shot narrowly off target for Borja Jimenez's side, and Barcelona took off defender Alejandro Balde before the break, as he appeared to suffer some kind of muscular injury.

"Balde is not so good... (but) I will say nothing, and we will wait until tomorrow," said Flick.

Crucial tackle

The coach sent on Frenkie de Jong for Ronald Araujo at halftime, moving Eric Garcia back into defense, and Barcelona soon took the lead.

With Robert Lewandowski lurking behind him, Saenz deflected Raphinha's low cross into his own net.

With Leganes forced into opening up a little, Barcelona began to threaten more frequently.

Fermin Lopez should have doubled Barcelona's lead, after showing tenacity to fight his way into the box, but scuffed his shot wide.

La Liga's top goal scorer Lewandowski directed a header narrowly wide from another searching Raphinha cross, and the otherwise quiet teenage star Lamine Yamal forced a save from Dmitrovic at his near post.

With 20 minutes to go, Raba headed home for Leganes, but he had strayed offside and the goal was disallowed.

Diego Garcia might have leveled things up, but directed a shot wide of Szczesny's far post.

In stoppage time, former Barca forward Munir El Haddadi broke through on goal for Leganes, but was foiled by a superb Martinez tackle that clinched his side's win.

"The last save (by Martinez) was unbelievable," said Flick. "Everyone celebrated this as if it was a goal."

Leganes, 19th, is two points from safety after the defeat.

"It's so tough... we leave with empty hands against a Barca side that, while it's true they attacked against us, they were not as efficient as usual, and you leave with a bitter feeling, because we put in a great performance," Leganes midfielder Renato Tapia told DAZN.

"We can do it (stay up), and I think today we showed it."

AFP