🇪🇸 Barcelona secure comfortable derby win over Espanyol

Barcelona continue to blitz the opening months of the 2024-25 LaLiga season with a comfortable 3-1 win over city rivals Espanyol in the Derbi Barceloní.

Scorers: Olmo 12′, 31′, Raphinha 23′; Puado 63′

Coming into matchday 12 on the back of their 4-0 thrashing of Real Madrid last weekend, Barça were confident of another top-class performance under Hansi Flick. And once again, they delivered.

Dani Olmo put the hosts 1-0 up in the 12th minute with an expert finish after an exquisite ball from Lamine Yamal found his La Roja colleague through on goal to dispatch past Espanyol shot-stopper Joan Garcia.

An in-form Raphina doubled Barcelona’s advantage 11 minutes later with a calm chipped finish after being put into the box by Marc Casado, with Barça looking to put matters to bed before the halftime interval.

After just over a half-an-hour Olmo did just that with a rasping effort from outside of the box to complete his brace and put Barcelona out of sight on the night.

Álex Balde won possession in Espanyol’s half before finding the Spanish midfielder to let fly from the top of the circle, marking the club’s 40th goal of the league campaign.

Periquitos found a potential lifeline in the 63rd minute through Javier Puado after a low cross from Carlos Romero found the striker unmarked at Iñaki Pena’s back post, with Barcelona looking lackluster in the second stanza.

It would be all for naught, however, as Barcelona would ultimately secure all three points on the day to jump nine points clear at the top of the table, with a midweek trip to Crvena Zvezda next on the docket.

Espanyol ends the day sitting 17th and just one point clear of the relegation zone and a crunch clash with Valencia next weekend.