In the much-anticipated Catalan Derby held at Cornellá-El Prat, Barcelona emerged victorious over Espanyol with a score of 2-0 in their match corresponding to matchday 18 of La Liga. The first goal came from Dani Olmo, who found the net in the 85th minute with an impressive strike. Robert Lewandowski sealed the deal with a second goal just before the final whistle, at the 89th minute.
A key moment of the match was Olmo’s stunning goal at the 85-minute mark. Assisted by Fermín López, he made the most of the opportunity within the semicircle, placing his shot perfectly into the bottom left corner of the net.
Joan García was a standout performer, earning the title of best player of the match. The Barcelona goalkeeper showcased his talent by making six crucial saves and completing 25 accurate passes.
Another important player for Barcelona was Eric García, who shone in midfield against Espanyol. He recorded 41 complete passes, intercepted three balls, and took two shots on goal.
Early in the match, Roberto Fernández from Espanyol displayed his skills by embarrassing Eric García with a superb nutmeg just three minutes into the game.
Espanyol’s coach, José González Álvarez, set up his team in a 4-4-2 formation featuring Marko Dmitrovic in goal; Omar el Hilali, Fernando Calero, Leandro Cabrera, and Carlos Romero in defense; and Tyrhys Dolan, Pol Lozano, Urko Gonzalez, and Pere Milla in midfield, with Roberto Fernández and Edu Expósito up front.
On the other hand, Barcelona, managed by Hans Flick, employed a 4-5-1 formation with Joan García in goal; Jules Koundé, Pau Cubarsi, Gerard Martín, and Alejandro Balde in defense; Eric García, Frenkie de Jong, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Marcus Rashford in midfield; and Ferran Torres leading the attack.
The match was officiated by referee Víctor García Verdura.
In their upcoming fixtures, Espanyol will face Levante, while Barcelona will travel to play Real Sociedad. Currently, Espanyol sits in fifth place with 33 points, while Barcelona leads the table with 49 points.
Substitutions for Espanyol
59’ 2T – Edu Expósito was replaced by Jofre Carreras 74’ 2T – Roberto Fernández was substituted off for Kike García 81’ 2T – Tyrhys Dolan and Pere Milla were replaced by Ramón Terrats and Javi Puado respectively.
Yellow Cards for Espanyol:
32’ 2T Pol Lozano (Unsporting behavior) and 32’ 2T Manolo González (Insulting or disapproving the referee).
Substitutions for Barcelona
45’ 2T – Marcus Rashford was substituted by Fermín López 63’ 2T – Ferran Torres was replaced by Robert Lewandowski 64’ 2T – Raphinha and Gerard Martín went off for Dani Olmo and Pedri respectively.