"Barcelona and Espanyol have faced off relatively regularly in recent years, barring the period of Espanyol's relegation, but never has a derby been tighter than it was yesterday. Manolo Gonzalez's side has been doing a phenomenal job so far this season, and many expected the outing to be a tricky one for Hansi Flick's side, and the game turned out exactly as anticipated."
"Barcelona may well have had close to 70% of the ball, but it was largely Espanyol who dictated the game-state and tormented the visitors with a structured approach. Their defence was rock-solid, and they intercepted the visitors' last pass with great efficiency for most of the. Game. They played quickly through the middle, transitioning with rapid pace, and only lacked in terms of clinical finishing. Espanyol created four big chances to Barcelona's five at the RCDE Stadium last night, racking up an xG of 1.43, which was only narrowly inferior to Flick's side's 1.67. In fact, they did not deserve to lose on the night and will feel hard done by dropping points owing to Dani Olmo's moment of brilliance."
Barcelona secured a 2-0 victory at the RCDE Stadium with Dani Olmo scoring from distance in the 86th minute and Robert Lewandowski adding a second in the 90th. Espanyol matched Barcelona in chances and xG, creating four big chances to Barcelona's five and posting an xG of 1.43 against Barcelona's 1.67. Espanyol defended well, intercepted final passes efficiently, and transitioned quickly through midfield but lacked clinical finishing. The victory gives Barcelona momentum heading into the Supercup and establishes a temporary seven-point gap with Real Madrid. Joan Garcia produced a notable performance for Espanyol.
Read at Barca Universal
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