Espanyol 0-2 Barcelona
Dani Olmo 86′ and Robert Lewandowski 90′.
On the 18th matchday of La Liga, Barcelona traveled not far from home to Espanyol for the usual Catalan derby.
Leaders of the league, Hansi Flick’s players had to be wary of their rivals, with Espanyol doing a superb season and currently sitting in 5th place.
FC Barcelona dominated possession, as expected. However, in terms of chances, the match was very tight, with neither team able to find the back of the net despite a number of opportunities.
In the second half, Hansi Flick’s coaching paid off, with Ferran Torres and Raphinha being replaced by Robert Lewandowski and Dani Olmo.
Indeed, at the end of the match, as it looked set to end in a draw, which would not have been ideal for either team. Barcelona being in the running for the title and Espanyol in the running for Europe.
But in the end, the favorites showed why they were favorites as Barcelona scored twice in the last 5 minutes of the game, with the substitutes Lewandowski and Olmo.
With this win, Barcelona keep their 1st place with 49 points. Espanyol are still 5th with 33 points.