RCD Espanyol 0-2 FC Barcelona: Derby victory clinches the title

FC Barcelona are 2024/25 Liga champions! And just as they did in 2022/23 it happened thanks to victory in the derby against city rivals Espanyol.

It didn’t come easy. The home side put up an impressive fight and Barça were far from their best, but an absolute stunner from Lamine Yamal in the 53rd minute and a second in the dying seconds of injury time from Fermín López split the teams and sparked jubilation across the blaugrana universe.

Of all 28 league titles that Barça has won, this has been one of the most remarkable. With a young side on which no great expectations were placed, Hansi Flick guided them off to such a powerful start that some were saying the Liga would be as good as over by Christmas. Then an unexpected plunge in form saw the team beaten three times in a row at home and drop down to third.

The reaction since then has been nothing short of tremendous. In 2025, the team has not lost a single Liga fixture, powering their way back to the top, eventually being confirmed champions with two games to spare.

Spanish Super Cup, Copa del Rey and now La Liga! The domestic treble in a season that is really just the start of what promises to be another golden era… Força Barça!

Nervous start

Both sides knew a win would fulfil their main objective at this stage of the season, the title for Barça or survival for Espanyol, and in all fairness it was the latter who came closest to achieving that target in a lively but goalless first half.

Barça had the ball but the ‘parakeets’ had the biggest chances, with top scorer Javi Puado in particular getting himself into strong positions on several occasions. Fortunately, his finishing was not up to his usual standard and the one time it was, Wojciech Szczesny produced a fine save.

Raphinha, Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski all had half-chances for Barça, but Joan García in the Espanyol goal was never seriously troubled in the first 45 minutes.

Play was held up for several minutes in the first half when news broke of an accident outside the stadium. A driver had lost control of his car and careered into a crowd of fans. 13 people were injured but thankfully none seriously and the match was able to continue.

Lamine beauty!

Desperate not to see their biggest rivals celebrate the league title on their own patch as they had done two seasons before, Espanyol were giving 100% against a team they hadn’t beaten in 27 attempts.

Not even Lamine Yamal was managing to make his presence fully felt, but when he finally did, he did so with an explosion.

Pedri set him up on the edge of the area and the teenager then almost nonchalantly produced as brilliant a finish as one is ever likely to see. The ball curled its way over to the far post and slotted perfectly into the top corner, the Espanyol defence powerless to do anything but concede that they had just been beaten by a moment of sheer magic.

One of Lamine’s best goals yet, and a more than worthy way to settle the 2024/25 Liga championship.

Espanyol red card

But Espanyol weren’t going to let that happen without a fight, and again had it not been for sloppy finishing and an inspired Szczesny they might have got what they wanted.

Barça were theoretically given a boost with ten minutes to go when Leandro Cabrera clumsily armed Lamine in the stomach and was red carded for his efforts, but what it ultimately did was fire up the remaining ten Espanyol players and their supporters even more.

Fermin clincher

Barça were minutes away from the league title, but there were going to be some very nervous final minutes before the cava and fireworks could fly.

It was all Espanyol until the dying minutes of injury time, and then came the confirmation. Lamine supplied Fermín López, and the latter slotted home, getting to enjoy the moment that he was so cruelly denied by a disallowed goal in the final minutes of the game with Real Madrid.

Justice was served, and FC Barcelona fans worldwide could start celebrating the Liga title for the 28th time!