Barcelona shook off a costly error from goalkeeper Joan Garcia to rally past promoted Oviedo 3-1 in the Spanish league on Thursday.
Garcia’s miscue put the Catalans in early trouble.
Venturing outside his area in the 33rd minute, he awkwardly juggled the ball over one opponent with his thigh before trying to clear with his left foot.
Instead, he sent it toward midfield, where Alberto Reina pounced with a long-range strike into an empty net.
But Barcelona found their rhythm after the break. Eric Garcia leveled, Robert Lewandowski put them ahead, and Ronald Araújo sealed the comeback, giving Barça their fifth win in six matches.
The victory kept Barcelona two points behind leaders Real Madrid, who extended their perfect start with a 4-1 win at Levante on Tuesday.
“In the first half we struggled to create chances, but in the second we raised the tempo, scored three goals and earned a very important win,” Lewandowski said.
Reina immediately fired a booming one-touch shot over the Barcelona defense and into the open net from about 35 meters (yards). The ball bounced once just short 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.”
Garcia joined Barcelona from city rival Espanyol this summer and earned the start after regular No. 1 Marc-Andre ter Stegen underwent surgery for a lower-back injury.
“He is the backup for the last line and normally he is really good. One mistake,” Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said. “We came back and we won, and this is the most important.”
Defender Eric Garcia equalized in the 56th minute from close range after Ferran Torres’ shot hit the far post and was partially redirected by Oviedo goalkeeper Aarón Escandell.
Lewandowski scored the go-ahead goal with a firm header off a cross by Frenkie de Jong in the 70th, five minutes after the Poland striker had replaced Raphinha.
Araújo sealed the victory with another header in the 88th after a corner kick by Marcus Rashford.
Oviedo, led by veteran playmaker Santi Cazorla, had scored only once this season – in a 1-0 win against Real Sociedad. They lost their other four matches in their return to the first division after more than two decades away.
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 failed to commit, letting the ball slip through his legs and allowing Pedrosa to score.
Elche, also promoted this season, had won two of their previous three matches and sit in fifth place.
Osasuna are winless in their last two.
