Barcelona 3 - Alavés 2

Barcelona: Reina; Gabri, Frank De Boer, Sergi (Petit 11'); Guardiola, Cocu; Luis Enrique (Simao 46'), Gerard (Reiziger 75'), Overmars; Rivaldo, Kluivert. 3-2-3-2.
Alavés: Herrera; Contra, Karmona, Téllez, Geli; Desio, Tomic (Iván Alonso 75'); Astudillo, Jordi Cruyff (Pablo 73'), Ibon Begoña (Magno 55'); Javi Moreno. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Barcelona: Cocu, Rivaldo for Petit, Simao / Alavés: Ibon Begoña for Magno.

Goals:
1-0. 03. Rivaldo. From close up after Karmona deflected pass from Overmars.
2-0. 61. Rivaldo. After Téllez clearance from Overmars cross hit his upper arm.
3-0. 68. Kluivert. At second attempt after Rivaldo squared back across area.
3-1. 74. Javi Moreno (penalty). After Reina brought down Contra inside the area.
3-2. 77. Magno. Beat Reina after taking short pass from Moreno.

A Jekyll and Hyde performance by Barcelona, who almost threw away a three goal lead in the last 20 minutes of this match. In fact had it not been for a controversially disallowed goal two minutes from time and a last minute save from Astudillo by young keeper Reina, Alavés could have had a point which, on performance, they merited. Barcelona started well with Overmars, probably playing his best game of the season, setting up Rivaldo somewhat fortunately when his through ball took a deflection off Karmona to fall at the Brazilian's feet in front of goal. Rivaldo was back in the side after missing a game through injury, and he happily poked the ball past Herrera for his seventeenth of the season. Overmars was getting involved in everything and the he brought a good save out of the keeper after Kluivert put him through. However a few minutes later he was involved in an unfortunate incident with Sergi, accidentally running in to him as he fell, leaving him concussed. The full back had to be carried off semi-concious and spent the night in a local clinic under observation, and Petit came on in a makeshift three man defence alongside Gabri and Frank De Boer.

Rivaldo's main rival for the Pichichi trophy this year Javi Moreno was on the other side of the park, and he went close once before getting away from his marker a few minutes later and sending a shot goalwards. However with Reina beaten, Cocu leaped acrobatically to clear the ball off the line. The play caused some friction from both sides, Barcelona claiming that the ball should have been put out of play as Overmars was injured (not that he ever does that), and Alavés claiming that the ball crossed the line, and referee Ramírez Domínguez had to separate players as tempers flared. At half time Serra Ferrer brought on Simao who had been left out of the starting line up to allow Cocu to return from suspension, and he added more width on the right. Mané brought on Magno, and the Brazilian produced the miss of the night, (and maybe of the year) after Javi Moreno waltzed through the defence to lay the ball to him unmarked in front of goal. It was a key moment, as a minute later Barcelona scored, with Overmars once again the provider. He laid the ball back from the left goal line, and although Téllez reached it first, the ball ricocheted off Rivaldo's upper arm directly back into the net, the referee waving away claims from the visitors for hand ball.

Barcelona went three up a few minutes later after Rivaldo unselfishly gave the ball to Kluivert after Herrera had blocked the Dutch striker's first shot. It seemed to be all over, but Reina brought down Contra on the edge of the area and Javi Moreno scored his sixteenth of the season from the penalty spot. Two minutes later Magno made up for his mistake finishing off neatly from Moreno's through pass, and Serra Ferrer put on Reiziger to strengthen his defence. Then with two minutes to go Magno chipped the ball up, ran through the packed defence himself and blasted the ball past Reina. However after consulting with his linesman, Ramírez Domínguez ruled that Iván Alonso had interfered with play from an offside position, and the goal was disallowed. Television pictures suggested that he was probably not offside, and although alongside Magno did not touch the ball. Barça were off the hook though, and they rise above their rivals to fourth in the table, four points behind third placed Deportivo. Alavés drop out of the UEFA spots to seventh, and now have a couple of weeks to rest before receiving the visit of Real Madrid. All except Jordi Cruyff that is, who was applauded off the park when substituted, and who stays in Barcelona for Friday night's game between Catalunya and Lithuania.