Barcelona solidified their position at the top of La Liga with an impressive win over Espanyol, expanding their lead over Real Madrid to nine points. Fresh off a memorable El Clasico victory last week, Barcelona’s forwards dazzled once more, especially with the young Lamine Yamal showcasing his skill and flair. Yamal delivered a superb outside-foot cross in the 12th minute, setting up Dani Olmo for a powerful header that ricocheted off the crossbar for the first goal.
Just over ten minutes later, another emerging talent, Marc Casado, launched a precise pass behind Espanyol’s defense. This allowed captain Raphinha to time his run perfectly and score Barcelona’s second goal, putting the team in command early on.
High Defensive Line Tests Barca
Despite their dominance, Barcelona’s high defensive line created tense moments as Espanyol managed to break through twice, only for both goals to be called offside. Omar el Hilali provided an excellent pass to Jofre Carreras, who scored, but VAR ruled it out. Shortly afterward, Olmo struck again from the edge of the box, delivering a powerful shot that extended the lead to 3-0.
Espanyol had another goal disallowed in the second half when Alvaro Tejero’s close-range effort was deemed offside. However, Espanyol’s captain, Javi Puado, finally found the back of the net midway through the second half, scoring at the far post to pull one back for his team.
Flick’s Barcelona Continue Impressive Streak
Barcelona maintained their strong defensive structure to close out the game, with Espanyol unable to turn the tide. Espanyol’s disappointing record in the derby extended as they went without a win over Barcelona for the 27th consecutive encounter. The defeat also marked their sixth loss in seven La Liga matches.
Under manager Hansi Flick, Barcelona have won 11 out of 12 league games. Since their only league loss to Osasuna in late September, they have won six consecutive matches across all competitions, amassing 24 goals. With a Champions League clash against Red Star Belgrade approaching on Wednesday, Barcelona will aim to extend this remarkable form. Earlier on Sunday, Atletico Madrid also triumphed with a 2-0 win over Las Palmas, closing the gap to within a point of Real Madrid.
