Barcelona squeeze past Leganes to go 7 points clear of Real Madrid

Barcelona struggled to break down Leganes for most of the encounter but managed to triumph thanks to a Jorge Saenz own goal in the 48th minute.

Hansi Flick named a strong 11 for the match, barely rotating the squad that thumped Borussia Dortmund 4-0 during the week. His decision proved correct, as despite naming a strong team, Leganes came close to taking at least a point from the game.

Leganes had a bright start and nearly took the lead through Adria Altimira, who was denied by a brilliant Wojciech Szczesny save.

As the half progressed, Barcelona gained more control, with Marko Dmitrovic making a fine save to parry a wicked deflection after Jules Kounde's shot. Barcelona had more chances in the half but failed to bury any. 

The second half saw Leganes continue to fight, but their resistance was ultimately broken when Jorge Saenz turned Raphinha's cross into his own net. 

Fermín López had a chance to double Barcelona's lead after doing the hard work wriggling through Leganes’ backline but missed the target with a relatively straightforward finish. 

Leganes found the back of the net and thought they had gotten the equaliser after a Dani Raba header, but the linesman immediately raised his flag. They had another chance later in the game, but a last-ditch tackle from Inigo Martinez helped Barcelona keep their lead and maximum points.