Barcelona, the current leaders of LaLiga, secured a 3-1 victory over Espanyol in the Catalan derby on Sunday. The win was made possible by Dani Olmo’s two goals in the first half and a goal from Raphinha, extending Barcelona’s unbeaten streak against their local rivals to 27 games.
This triumph also propelled Barcelona nine points ahead of Real Madrid in the league standings. However, Real Madrid’s scheduled match against Valencia was postponed due to the devastating floods in the region. As for Espanyol, they currently find themselves in 17th place, just one point above the relegation zone.
Despite their dominance, Barcelona missed out on keeping a clean sheet as Javi Puado managed to score for Espanyol. It was a tough break for Espanyol as they had two goals disallowed by VAR for marginal offsides.
Reflecting on the victory, Dani Olmo expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance, stating, “We’re gradually progressing and it’s crucial to keep winning. We’ve had a good week. Espanyol didn’t make it easy for us, but we secured the three points, so mission accomplished.” Olmo also highlighted Barcelona’s attacking prowess, both from their forwards and midfielders, adding, “We opted for a direct style of play and consistently create numerous chances in every game.”
Barcelona controlled possession right from the start and came close to scoring an early goal with a slick passing move. However, Olmo’s header from the middle of the box went over, giving Espanyol a chance to catch their breath.
Shortly after, 17-year-old Lamine Yamal played a brilliant pass using the outside of his left foot, sending Olmo through on goal. Olmo wasted no time and confidently fired the ball into the net, opening the scoring.
Barca’s second goal was the result of another exceptional assist, this time from Marc Casado near the centre circle. Casado skillfully lobbed the ball over the defense, finding Raphinha, who chipped it over the onrushing goalkeeper to make it 2-0.
Espanyol thought they had reduced the deficit when Jofre Carreras found the net on a counter-attack. However, VAR ruled out his goal as right back Omar El Hilali was offside.
Barca further compounded Espanyol’s misery when an unmarked Olmo found space outside the box. Olmo took his chance and beat the outstretched arm of goalkeeper Joan Garcia, finding the back of the net for his fifth LaLiga goal in five games this season.
Olmo missed out on the chance to score three goals when Hansi Flick substituted him after 10 minutes into the second half. Meanwhile, Espanyol had another goal disallowed due to Barca’s well-executed offside trap saving them once again.
However, Espanyol managed to break through the trap, and Carlos Romero found Puado, who successfully beat Inaki Pena in Barca’s goal.
Barcelona’s attack was less effective in the second half, especially after Olmo was substituted. Nevertheless, Flick’s team did enough to secure the three points.
“In the first half, they had no trouble finding each other in midfield and even had a long-range shot. We addressed that and made corrections in the second half,” Puado stated.
“Against teams like these, you have to play a flawless game. Otherwise, it’s challenging to win, especially when you’re down 3-0; it’s hard to make a comeback.”
