Barcelona narrowly managed to come away with a win in their away match against struggling Leganés. Just three days after their impressive performance against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League quarter-finals, the Catalans secured a narrow victory in the Madrid suburb.
Barcelona suffered a surprising home defeat to Leganés back in December, a low point during a pre-holiday dip in form that had many questioning the team’s title credentials.
At the time, Hansi Flick had only recently taken over, and the squad was struggling to find rhythm and identity. Fast-forward to April, and the picture looks very different. Barcelona came into this weekend’s fixture on the back of a dominant 3-0 Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund and riding a wave of strong domestic results that had seen them retake top spot in La Liga. Confidence was high. Expectations were even higher.
But on Saturday evening in Butarque, the Catalans were given a timely reminder that nothing comes easy in the Spanish top flight. Leganés, sitting near the bottom of the table and fighting for survival, pushed the league leaders to their limit once again. Although Barça escaped with a 1-0 win, the performance was anything but convincing, and the narrow margin underscored how fine the lines can be even between a title contender and a relegation candidate.
Without Frenkie de Jong in the starting lineup, Barcelona lacked their usual composure and creativity in midfield during the first half. The Dutch midfielder had been rested following his recent return from injury, and his absence was felt almost immediately. Barça struggled to link play through the middle and failed to produce any clear-cut chances in the opening 45 minutes. Meanwhile, Leganés looked sharp and energetic, pressing high and exploiting spaces down the flanks.
Wojciech Szczesny, who joined Barcelona in the winter transfer window as part of Flick’s effort to reinforce the back line and add experience between the posts, was called into action several times in the first half. His most important contribution came after a slick combination on the right involving Dani Raba, who set up Adrià Altimira for a powerful shot from close range. Szczesny stayed big and denied the Leganés full-back with an excellent stop a moment that proved critical to the final outcome.
Despite controlling possession, Barcelona were worryingly passive in the final third, often circulating the ball without purpose or urgency. Just before the break, a defensive lapse almost cost them dearly. Szczesny was caught out of position after being rounded by a Leganés attacker, and the goal seemed wide open until Raphinha made a crucial intervention to block the shot at the last second. That moment seemed to jolt Flick into action.
At halftime, the German manager made a decisive change: Frenkie de Jong came on for Ronald Araujo, a move that restructured the midfield and provided more balance in possession. Earlier in the first half, Flick had already been forced to replace Alejandro Balde due to a suspected muscle injury, adding further complications to his tactical setup.
Almost immediately after De Jong’s entrance, Barcelona found the breakthrough though it came in fortunate fashion. A driven cross from Raphinha on the right wing caused chaos in the Leganés box. Defender Jorge Sáenz, trying to clear the ball under pressure from Robert Lewandowski, misjudged the bounce and inadvertently sent it past his own goalkeeper. The own goal gave Barça a 1-0 lead, and while it was celebrated with relief more than joy, it also underlined the impact of De Jong’s presence on the pitch. His calm distribution and ability to dictate tempo allowed Barça to settle and maintain control, even if they didn’t significantly increase their attacking output.
From that point on, the visitors looked more composed but remained far from dominant. Fermín López tried to spark some magic with a weaving run past two defenders, only to shoot narrowly wide. Lamine Yamal, the teenage sensation who continues to earn more minutes under Flick, fired a blistering shot from a tight angle that forced Marko Dmitrovic into a strong save at his near post. Barcelona created opportunities, but there was still a sense of vulnerability a feeling that Leganés could pounce at any moment.
Indeed, they almost did. Around the 70th minute, Dani Raba thought he had equalised with a header from a deep cross into the box. The Leganés fans erupted, but celebrations were cut short as the linesman flagged for offside a tight call, but ultimately correct after a brief VAR check. That scare didn’t fully wake Barcelona up, and just minutes later, substitute Diego García curled a shot inches wide of the far post, with Szczesny beaten.
The final ten minutes were tense, with Leganés throwing everything forward in search of a dramatic late goal. Barcelona, for all their technical quality, looked nervous. Flick’s side retreated deeper, relying more on clearances than control. Defensive discipline and the clock ultimately came to their rescue.
The final whistle brought relief for Barcelona, who held onto their slim lead and collected three valuable points. While the performance left much to be desired, the result allows them to stay ahead of Real Madrid for now. With the title race as tight as ever, every point counts, and matches like this are often remembered as decisive turning points in a championship campaign.
Barcelona’s six-point cushion over third-placed Atlético Madrid remains intact, but if Real Madrid win their upcoming match, the pressure will return instantly. Flick will need to find the right balance between managing his squad's fitness and ensuring that slip-ups like the one that almost occurred in Butarque don’t become more frequent in the season’s final stretch.
In the end, this was a reminder that even the strongest teams need moments of luck, grit, and resilience to stay on course for silverware and that in La Liga, no opponent can be taken lightly, especially not one with as much heart as Leganés.
