Barcelona delivered a classic smash-and-grab performance on Saturday, securing a hard-fought 2-0 victory over city rivals Espanyol at the RCDE Stadium. The win, sealed by late goals from substitutes Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski, sent the Catalan giants seven points clear at the summit of La Liga.
Garcia's Heroics and Hostile Reception
The match was defined by the heroics of Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia. The shot-stopper, who controversially moved from Espanyol to Barcelona last summer, faced a torrent of abuse from his former supporters. The club had to deploy large safety nets behind the goals to protect him from projectiles, while fans waved banners depicting rats.
Despite the hostile atmosphere, Garcia was immense. He kept his team in the contest with a series of crucial saves, particularly in the first half. He first denied striker Roberto Fernandez, then improvised brilliantly to stop a follow-up from Pere Milla, and later tipped away a dangerous header. His performance ensured the teams went into the break level.
"We didn't deserve it, I'll be honest," admitted Barcelona coach Hansi Flick after the match. "First of all I have to say thank you to Joan Garcia because he played unbelievably. He's one of the best goalkeepers in the world." Teammate Dani Olmo also praised the keeper, telling Movistar, "Joan is incredible... Playing against his old fans, he had a great game and got a clean sheet."
Late Show Seals the Points
For long periods, a resilient Espanyol side, who were on a five-game winning streak before the derby, looked the more likely to score. Barcelona's first clear chance only arrived in the 70th minute, but Espanyol's Marko Dmitrovic made a stunning save to deny Eric Garcia one-on-one.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 86th minute. Fermin Lopez drove forward with purpose and slipped a precise pass to Dani Olmo, who had come off the bench. The Spanish international expertly curled the ball into the top right corner, sending the away fans into delirium.
Just four minutes later, in the 90th minute, the victory was sealed. Fermin Lopez was again the catalyst, charging forward before setting up fellow substitute Robert Lewandowski. The Polish striker made no mistake, finishing coolly to complete a dramatic late turnaround.
Massive Message to the League
The victory extends Barcelona's winning streak in the league to nine games and piles pressure on second-placed Real Madrid, who play on Sunday. For Espanyol, the defeat was a bitter end to their impressive run.
"I don't celebrate the first 80 minutes, how we played," Coach Flick stated frankly. "But in the end we scored the two goals, got the three points and this is a massive message to La Liga and very important."
In other La Liga action on Saturday, Villarreal beat Elche 3-1 to move temporarily into third place. Atletico Madrid, currently fourth, are in action on Sunday against Real Sociedad.
