Barcelona made it look easy on Sunday, beating Levante 3-0 at Camp Nou and jumping back to the top of La Liga. Real Madrid slipped up the day before, losing 2-1 at Osasuna, so Hansi Flick’s team pulled a point ahead of their rivals with this win over 19th-placed Levante.

Marc Bernal and Frenkie de Jong got things started, both scoring in the first half to put Barca in control. Late in the game, Fermin Lopez smashed in a brilliant third to seal it. Honestly, Barca needed this boost after a rough stretch: a 4-0 hammering from Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey semi-final, then a 2-1 loss to Girona in the league just last Monday.

“I’m really happy to get the three points and score for the team,” Bernal told Movistar. Levante almost shocked everyone in the opening minute, but after Bernal’s goal, the nerves settled and Barcelona found their groove.

For Bernal, this one meant a lot. It was only his second goal since coming back from a brutal knee injury that sidelined him for over a year. “When I celebrated, I thought of my dad and my physio. He told me I’d score, and he’s helped me so much,” Bernal said.

Barca’s defence still looked shaky, even though Flick keeps asking for more discipline at the back. Levante just couldn’t take advantage, wasting their chances.

Bernal opened the scoring after some slick play from Joao Cancelo and Eric Garcia. Cancelo, getting a rare start since joining on loan, looked sharp. Robert Lewandowski had a clear shot to double the lead but blasted it over. Cancelo almost set him up again, hitting the post with a cross, and then delivered another ball from the left for De Jong, who finished it off.

Garcia missed a good chance early in the second half, heading wide from a Jules Kounde cross. Eventually, substitute Fermin Lopez stepped up and smashed in a rocket off the post for Barca’s third. He almost got another one late on, but Levante keeper Mathew Ryan came up with a great save.

Flick also brought back Pedri as a sub after a month out with a hamstring injury, and he’ll be important with some tough matches coming up.

Levante are now seven points from safety. Their midfielder Carlos Alvarez summed it up: “We had a couple of chances in the first half; if we’d scored, maybe things would’ve been different. If we’d gone ahead, who knows?”

Earlier in the day, Sevilla edged Getafe 1-0, and Villarreal, who sit third, were set to play Valencia later.

Barcelona are looking to get back on track this Sunday when they take on Levante at the Spotify Camp Nou. After back-to-back losses to Atletico Madrid and Girona, they’re now chasing Real Madrid in the La Liga title race.

Honestly, it’s been a rough stretch for Barcelona. But Hansi Flick, the head coach, thinks his squad is ready to respond. Marca reports that Flick sees the last week as a chance for everyone to reset before a crucial run of games.

“After two defeats where we just weren’t at our best, having those two days off helped a lot. The players look fresher now, which matters. We’re at home, and we have to win. We want the three points. It’s about getting our confidence back. When you lose and don’t play well, doubts start to creep in. We’ve been honest with ourselves, and that’s key for what’s coming up. The team needs to feel hungry again.”

There’s been a lot of noise around Barcelona’s playing style after those poor results, but Flick still sees his players buying in.

“I see a team that believes in how we play. Out of five possible titles, we’ve won four. I’ve talked to plenty of the guys, and they’re all in. But, sure, sometimes that belief wavers. Nobody likes losing, especially not at Barcelona, but we have to deal with it and get better.

“Everyone’s on board with what we’re doing. These aren’t easy days, but we’re communicating, being open about everything. I ask them questions; that’s how I manage. We need leaders to step up, and communication is the only way. Players need to take responsibility, and they are.”

On Thursday, Flick sat down with his players for a long meeting to sort out what’s been going wrong.

“We’ve let opponents create too many chances, so we talked about what needs to change if we want to get back to our best. It was an open conversation. I wanted to clear the air, too. Talking about what’s happening and how to handle it is important.”

Flick also responded to talk about a lack of leadership on the pitch.

“That’s normal. Against Girona, the first 15 or 20 minutes were good; I was pretty happy. But we lost our rhythm, missed our chances, and didn’t play with the power we have. And yeah, we do need leaders out there, which is why I’ve asked the players to share their opinions and ideas.

“Taking responsibility matters. When these guys give everything, the quality is clear. Maybe we don’t have that single leader everyone looks to, but it’s on all of us to help each other grow. I believe in this team, and I’m excited for the next games. We’ve moved on from those losses, but there’s work to do. On the bright side, Rashford and Pedri are back, and Gavi’s getting better.”