Barcelona stays strong at the top with win over Espanyol

Barcelona kept their impressive start to the season going with a convincing win against city rivals Espanyol. 

Under the management of Hansi Flick, the team is looking unstoppable and has now opened up a nine-point lead over Real Madrid in La Liga.

After a thrilling victory in the recent El Clasico, Barcelona’s attacking skills were on full display again. 

Young winger Lamine Yamal, just a teenager, dazzled the crowd with his talent. In the 12th minute, he sent in a stunning cross using the outside of his foot. Dani Olmo took advantage of it, scoring the opener by striking the ball in off the crossbar.

Just 11 minutes later, another rising star, Marc Casado, delivered a fantastic pass behind the Espanyol defense. 

Captain Raphinha timed his run perfectly and finished with a smooth clip to make it 2-0. Barcelona’s high defensive line created some drama, as Espanyol had two goals called back for offside after video review, leaving their fans frustrated.

Despite some challenges, Barcelona extended their lead further when Olmo scored again with a powerful shot from the edge of the area, bringing the score to 3-0. In the second half, Espanyol’s Alvaro Tejero thought he had scored, but once again, it was ruled offside.

Finally, Javi Puado managed to find the net for Espanyol in the 63rd minute, making it 3-1. Although they showed some improvement, Espanyol was clearly outmatched throughout the match. 

This loss means they have now gone 27 derbies without a win against Barcelona and have only won once in their last seven league games.

Barcelona has been on a roll under Flick, winning 11 out of their 12 league matches. Since their only loss to Osasuna at the end of September, they’ve now won six straight games, scoring an impressive 24 goals. 

They will be looking to keep this momentum going when they face Red Star Belgrade in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Earlier on Sunday, Atletico Madrid also had a strong performance, beating Las Palmas 2-0, which brought them within just one point of Real Madrid in the league standings. 

As the season continues, the excitement in La Liga keeps building!