Barcelona dominates Catalan derby with impressive 3-0 Victory
Barcelona crushed local rivals Espanyol 3-0 in Sunday’s Catalan derby, extending their impressive run in La Liga with a display that mixed ruthless efficiency with sublime artistry at Montjuic Stadium.
Dani Olmo orchestrated the demolition with a spectacular double, opening the scoring in the 12th minute by connecting with prodigy Lamine Yamal’s outrageous outside-of-the-boot delivery.
The Spanish midfielder would later add a thunderous strike from distance, cementing his man-of-the-match performance.
Between Olmo’s masterclass, Raphinha continued his scorching form, notching his 11th goal of the campaign with an elegant chip over the helpless Espanyol goalkeeper.
The Brazilian’s clinical finish, set up by Marc Casado’s precise through ball, highlighted his outstanding season stats that now include eight assists in just 14 appearances.
The 17th-placed visitors’ only moments of hope came through two disallowed goals, as Barcelona’s dominance never truly wavered.
The victory carried extra sweetness for the home crowd, who had earlier celebrated a trio of individual honors: Bonmati’s Women’s Ballon d’Or, Yamal’s Kopa Trophy, and Lewandowski’s La Liga Player of the Month award.
While Real Madrid’s match against Valencia fell victim to severe weather conditions elsewhere in Spain, Barcelona’s commanding performance sent a clear message to their title rivals: the Catalans are hitting their stride, and they’re doing it in style.
