Barcelona tightened their hold on the La Liga title race with a dominant victory over Espanyol in the Catalan derby, stretching their lead at the top to nine points ahead of Real Madrid.
The visitors made a strong start, taking the lead in just the ninth minute when Ferran Torres headed home from a corner delivered by Lamine Yamal. Torres struck again midway through the first half, calmly finishing after receiving a precise outside-of-the-boot pass from the young winger.
Yamal, who at 18 years and 272 days became the youngest Barcelona player to reach 100 appearances, played a key role by setting up both first-half goals.
Espanyol struggled to assert themselves for much of the match but found a way back in the 56th minute. Pol Lozano capitalised on a rebound after Eric Garcia’s block to score from close range. The hosts later came close to equalising, but Fernando Calero’s header missed the target.
Barcelona responded strongly in the closing stages, putting the result beyond doubt with two late goals. Yamal added his name to the scoresheet with a simple finish into an empty net, while substitute Marcus Rashford capped off the win with a well-taken volley in the 89th minute.
With only seven games remaining and Real Madrid facing inconsistent form, Hansi Flick’s side appear well on course to defend their league title.
Barcelona now turns their attention to the Champions League, where they will face Atletico Madrid in the second leg on Tuesday, needing to recover from a two-goal deficit.
Espanyol, meanwhile, continue to struggle for form, extending their winless run to 14 matches, though they remain in 10th place in the standings.
