Barcelona moved seven points clear at the top of the La Liga standings after securing a gritty 2-0 victory over local rivals Espanyol in Saturday’s Catalan derby. Despite being largely nullified for 80 minutes, the league leaders used their bench depth to break the deadlock late in the game.
The night was dominated by the return of Barcelona goalkeeper Joan García to his former club. After joining Barca in a €25 million deal last summer, Garcia faced a hostile reception that included "rat" banners and mock banknotes thrown from the stands.
However, the 24-year-old responded with a man-of-the-match performance, recording six saves; including a point-blank stop from a Pere Milla header, to keep the match scoreless while Espanyol were on top. "I have to say thank you to Joan Garcia because he played unbelievable," Flick said afterward. "He's one of the best goalkeepers in the world."
The stalemate was finally broken in the 86th minute by substitute Dani Olmo. Returning from a shoulder injury, Olmo curled a precise strike into the top corner following a driving run from fellow substitute Fermín López. Just four minutes later, López turned provider again, surging down the right flank to tee up Robert Lewandowski, who bundled the ball home to seal the victory.
While the scoreline suggested a comfortable finish, Hansi Flick admitted his side struggled for much of the contest against a disciplined Espanyol defense. "We suffered a lot," the German manager conceded. "Espanyol played a fantastic game... we didn't deserve it, I will be honest."
Conversely, Espanyol coach Manolo González expressed frustration that his side couldn't capitalize on their early dominance, which saw Tyrhys Dolan and Roberto Fernández test the Barcelona goal repeatedly. The defeat ended a five-game winning streak for Espanyol, who remain fifth in the table and firmly in the European qualification hunt.
Barcelona now turns its attention to the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, where they face Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday. The derby win serves as a vital boost for the Blaugrana, who head into the mid-season tournament with a healthy lead in the domestic race.
Meanwhile, title rivals Real Madrid will look to reduce the gap back to four points tonight, though they must do so without star forward Kylian Mbappé, who has been ruled out of the Betis clash with a knee injury.
