First-half hat trick for Lewandowski as Barcelona top ahead of international break

MADRID (AP) — Robert Lewandowski continued his spectacular begin to the season on Sunday, scoring a hat trick in a 25-minute span as Barcelona beat Alaves 3-0 and went into the worldwide break prime of the Spanish league.

Lewandowski scored within the seventh, twenty second and thirty second minutes to take his league tally to 10 objectives in 9 matches. He has a complete of 12 objectives in 11 video games in all competitions, and has scored eight instances in his final 5 matches.

The Poland striker was coming off a brace in Barcelona’s 5-0 rout of Younger Boys within the Champions League on Tuesday.

“We performed an excellent match from the primary minute,” Lewandowski mentioned. “While you rating three objectives within the first half, it offers you the power to be much more in management within the second.”

The victory moved Barcelona three factors again in entrance of second-place Actual Madrid forward of the worldwide break. Madrid had drawn even on factors with the Catalan membership with a 2-0 win over fourth-place Villarreal on Saturday.

Barcelona was coming off its first league lack of the season — a 4-2 defeat in opposition to Osasuna. It had beforehand gained its first seven matches within the competitors.

Lewandowski scored with close-range strikes after a pair of assists by Raphinha and one other from Eric Garcia.

It was the third loss in a row for Alaves, which had no makes an attempt on purpose within the first half.

Barcelona misplaced ahead Ferran Torres with an obvious muscle harm 5 minutes into the match.

Atletico Madrid into third place

Atletico Madrid moved to 3rd place with a 1-1 draw at Actual Sociedad.

Julián Alvarez scored from inside the realm after a backheel move by Antoine Griezmann one minute into the match. Sociedad equalized with a left-footed roller into the highest nook by Luka Sucic within the 84th.

The consequence put Atletico stage on factors with Villarreal. Diego Simeone’s workforce is forward on purpose distinction.

Atletico was coming off a 4-0 loss at Benfica within the Champions League, its joint-biggest defeat within the competitors..

Sociedad, winless in two matches, was in fifteenth place.

Sevilla wins derby

Dodi Lukebakio transformed a Fiftieth-minute penalty kick to provide Sevilla a 1-0 win over Actual Betis within the Seville derby.

It was the second loss in a row for Betis. Sevilla has gained two of its final three video games

Gazzaniga saves penalties

Girona ended a six-match winless streak in all competitions with a 2-1 victory at house in opposition to Athletic Bilbao, with Cristhian Stuani scoring the winner by changing a penalty kick 9 minutes into second-half stoppage time.

Earlier than that, the match had been marked by three penalty saves by Girona goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga — one within the first half and two within the second after a video evaluate required the final penalty to be retaken.

It was Athletic’s first loss in six matches in all competitions.

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