Barcelona rallies to defeat Oviedo 3-1 in Spanish league after blunder by goalkeeper Joan García

MADRID (AP) — Barcelona overcame a blunder by goalkeeper Joan García to come from behind and win 3-1 at promoted Oviedo in the Spanish league on Thursday.

Barcelona trailed after García gave the ball away when he left the area and Alberto Reina scored for the hosts with a shot from near the midfield circle.

The Catalan club rallied in the second half with goals by Eric García, Robert Lewandowski and Ronald Araujo to secure its fifth win in six league matches.

The result left Barcelona two points behind leader Real Madrid, which won 4-1 at promoted Levante on Tuesday to maintain a perfect record after six rounds.

“In the first half we struggled with the scoring opportunities but in the second we picked up the pace and got the three goals and the victory that is very important for us,” Lewandowski said.

Joan García’s mistake came as he ventured outside the area to intercept a long pass in the 33rd minute. He used his right thigh to get the ball over one opponent and then his left foot to clear another Oviedo player, but ended up sending the ball into the middle of the field near where Alberto Reina was standing.

Reina immediately sent a booming one-touch shot over the Barcelona defenders and into the open net from about 35 meters (yards) away. The ball bounced once just ahead of the line before going in.

“I saw the goalkeeper make the mistake with the pass and I decided to take a chance,” Reina said. “The moment I struck it I knew it was going to be good. It was my first goal in the first division and I’ll never forget it.”

García was signed by Barcelona from city rival Espanyol this summer and earned the chance to start in goal after regular No. 1 Marc-André Ter Stegen underwent surgery for a lower back ailment.

“He is the backup for the last line and normally he is really good. One mistake,” Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said of the blunder. “We came back and we won and this is the most important.”

Defender Eric García equalized for Barcelona in the 56th from close range after Ferran Torres’ initial attempt hit the far post after being partially redirected by Oviedo goalkeeper Aarón Escandell.

Lewandowski scored the go-ahead goal for Barcelona with a firm header off a cross by Frenkie de Jong in the 70th, five minutes after the veteran Poland striker had replaced Raphinha.

Araujo sealed the victory with another header in the 88th after a corner kick taken by Marcus Rashford.

Oviedo, led by veteran playmaker Santi Cazorla, had scored only once this season, in a 1-0 win against Real Sociedad. It lost all of its other four matches in its return to the first division following an absence of more than two decades.

Another goalkeeping blunder

It was another goalkeeper mistake that allowed Elche to score a stoppage-time equalizer and earn a 1-1 draw at Osasuna.

Osasuna’s Sergio Herrera charged from his net to try to block an attempt by Adria Pedrosa but didn’t properly commit and the ball went through his legs, allowing Pedrosa to get to it and score.

Elche, also promoted to the first division this season, had won two of its last three matches. It sits in fifth place.

Osasuna is winless in its last two games.

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