After the disappointment in midweek against Atlético, Barcelona returned to La Liga on Saturday and took care of business against Espanyol, with a comfortable 4-1 win at home. Two early goals, a period of brief scare, then two late strikes to seal the deal.
Ferran Torres opened the scoring in the 9th minute with a lovely header from a corner by Lamine Yamal. He doubled his tally in the 25th minute with another smart finish, and this time from a lovely trivela assist from Yamal. It was 2-0 up inside the half an hour mark.
Espanyol pulled one back just after the hour mark through Pol Lozano. Espanyol had their hopes up for a comeback, but the two late strikes from Barcelona killed off any chance Espanyol had. Lamine Yamal scored a brilliant goal in the 87th minute from a through ball from Casado. And Marcus Rashford added the fourth in the 89th, from a clever Frenkie de Jong ball to make it 4-1. Game over.
Key stats:
Final Score: Barcelona 4-1 Espanyol
- Possession: Barcelona with the majority possession with around 77%
- xG (Expected goals): Barcelona: ~2.81 – 1 .17: Espanyol
- Big Chances: Barcelona: 4 – 1: Espanyol
- Total shots: Barcelona: 20 – 10: Espanyol
- MVP: Lamine Yamal (1 goal; 2 assists)
Player Ratings (out of 10)
- Lamine Yamal – 10
Absolutely unplayable - two assists in the first half and then a cunning goal in the 87th minute. He was the difference maker again.
- Ferran Torres – 8.7
Two well-taken goals in the first half. He looked sharp throughout the match and took both the chances perfectly.
- Pedri – 8.0
Controlled the game in midfield. Excellent passing, great vision, and looked back to his best. He played the complete 90 minutes which came off as a surprise
- Eric García – 7.6
Very solid at the back. Won his duels and was composed on the ball.
- Ronald Araújo – 7.3
Commanding and aggressive as usual. Led the defence well.
- Pau Cubarsí – 7.1
A mature display from the young centre-back coming from a poor display against Atlético. Looked calm and assured.
- Gavi – 7.1
Full of energy and pressing. Added that much-needed bite in midfield.
- Fermín López – 7.1
Worked hard but not his most influential game.
- G. Martín – 7.1
Performed decent before being substituted at half-time.
- Alejandro Balde – 6.5
A bit quiet by his usual standards. Got forward when possible but didn’t create much.
- J. García – 7.4
Made a couple of solid saves and wasn’t really troubled much.
Substitutes:
- Marcus Rashford – 7.9
Came on and scored the fourth goal in the 89th minute. Exactly the kind of impact you want from a substitute. - João Cancelo – 7.1
Solid when he came on. Added some experience and stability on the left. - Marc Casadó – 6.6
Came on at half-time and did a steady job in midfield. He was essential in setting up the third goal for Lamine Yamal - Dani Olmo – 6.8
Brought some creativity when he entered the game. - Frenkie de Jong – 6.8
Provided the assist for Rashford’s goal. Looked very impressive in his short cameo. His return is much needed for Barcelona’s final push of the season.
Quick Verdict
This was a good, professional win. Barcelona got the job done and pull ahead with 9 points of second place Real Madrid. Lamine Yamal was once again the standout player and he is only getting better. With the Catalan derby settled, now the focus shifts to the huge Champions League second leg against Atlético on Wednesday.