Barcelona beat Espanyol 2–0 in the Catalan derby with late goals from Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski, opened up a lead at the top of La Liga and kept their long unbeaten run in the rivalry, but the scoreline hid who really held the team together when the match was close to slipping away. Joan García and Fermín López were the names that explain why Barça left the RCDE Stadium with three points despite an unconvincing performance. One steadied the game when everything was wobbling, the other tipped the balance when space finally appeared.
High pressure, clear chances and a goalkeeper at full focus
From the warm-up on, Joan García read the mood. Every touch of the ball came with boos, insults and offensive banners. On the field, he answered without a word. Espanyol created the clearest chances of the opening phase and ran into the Barça goalkeeper time and again. The save on Pere Milla’s header was the kind that changes the feel of an entire stadium. In another moment, he beat Roberto Fernández in a one-on-one and kept the score level when the visitors were already showing signs of instability.
This wasn’t a comfortable Barcelona. Lamine Yamal tried to drive the game down the right, Ferran Torres popped up between the lines, Koundé pushed forward often, but everything felt clogged. At the other end, Marko Dmitrović also had his moments, denying Eric García with a tough save. Even so, the sense at the break was clear: if anyone looked closer to scoring, it was Espanyol. The goalless scoreline had a name attached to it.
Fatigue, adjustments and the player who changed the derby
As time went on, the game started to call for fresh legs. Espanyol kept up the intensity but could no longer press with the same organization. Barcelona kept missing more than usual but gained something essential, patience. Hansi Flick tweaked the team, shifted positions and leaned on players who read the game quickly. That’s when Fermín López truly stepped into the match.
Fermín brought a different rhythm to midfield. In the 86th minute, he carried the move forward, found Dani Olmo in space and watched a perfect finish into the top corner break Espanyol’s resistance. The goal rattled the home side. Four minutes later, with the defense disorganized, Fermín showed up again, gained an edge down the right and slipped the ball to Lewandowski, who nudged it home to seal it.
The 2–0 score was harsh on Espanyol but consistent with what Barcelona does best right now. They hold firm when they need to, grow as the opponent tires and decide games with players off the bench. The win marked a ninth straight league victory, lifted Barça to 49 points, opened a seven-point lead at the top depending on Real Madrid, and stretched the unbeaten run in the derby to 29 matches.
In the end, the classic left a strong image behind. Joan García walked out of the stadium where his career began having been decisive against his former club. Barcelona didn’t dazzle, but they won. And sometimes, in games like this, that says more than any brilliant display.