FC Barcelona got there in the end! Saturday’s game with RCD Espanyol was one of the most intense city derbies derbies in recent memories, and had it not been for a stunning performance by goalkeeper Joan García against his former club, it could have been a very different story.

the game as it happened

Instead, Barça came good right at the finish. After an extraordinary number of chances had gone begging for both sides, Dani Olmo finally curled home a gorgeous finish to score on 86 minutes, and Robert Lewandowski made sure of the points four minutes later, both goals coming after fabulous work from Fermin López in the build-up.

The wins sends Barça seven points clear at the top of the Liga table, pending what Real Madrid achieve against Betis tomorrow, and is the perfect send-off for a team that now heads to Saudi Arabia in search of the first silverware of the season, the Spanish Super Cup.

Gargantuan García

There had been no end of talk about Joan García in the build-up to his return to the RCDE Stadium, and at half-time he was still the main topic of conversation. But not because of the jeers every time the visiting goalkeeper touched the ball, but because of a series of outstanding saves that kept the game scoreless at the break.

The best of all was a simply outrageous hand that palmed away what looked a certain goal from a Pere Milla header, and he also did brilliantly when Roberto Fernández was through on goal.

Barça’s amazing run of 28 derbies without defeat had included several episodes that were barely a contest, such was the blaugrana superiority. Not so this time. Manolo González has put together a fine team. They may have the lowest possession in La Liga, but they know what they are doing, and Barça struggled to find a way through Espanyol’s solid defending and to contain their rapid counter attacks.

Intense stuff

Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres did have chances, and Jules Kounde gave further displays of his assets going forward, but their was plenty of margin for improvement in the second half.

We had to wait a frustratingly long time get it. Barça were up to all their usual dazzling tricks in attack, but blue-and-white shirts were always there to block the final shot. And Marko Dmitrovic gave us several reminders that García’s replacement in the Espanyol net is nobody to be sniffed at. His impossible save to deny Eric Garcia was especially impressive.

But much as Barça were playing some lovely football, it was Espanyol who were getting the best chances. The parakeets only had themselves to blame as a number of clear opportunities were wasted by poor final decisions, and on one occasion they had not one but two players though on goal, but it was the utterly inspired Joan García who came out on top.

Olmo finds the net

Barça were living very dangerously indeed, and the home side and their fans were feeling more and more confident by the minute. But Joan García was there to save the day almost every time... and the one time he wasn’t Koundé came to the rescue by clearing off the line.

But Barça never give up. Hansi Flick juggled things around, and with just four minutes to go, the breakthrough came, and all thanks to a couple of late goals both set up and scored by substitutes.

For once, the Espanyol defence lost its shape, and Barça capitalised. Fermin López conducted the move, fed the ball to the unmarked Dani Olmo, and the latter was able to celebrate his return from a shoulder injury by sending the most immaculate of strikes into the top right corner.

Lewy completes the job

Espanyol were rocked by the goal, and Barça made the most of their opponents' disarray to finish the job four minutes later. Again it was Fermin in the build-up, completing his mazy run down the right wing by slipping the ball back to Lewandowski, and the Pole somehow managed to get the ball over the line.

In doing, he made sure of a ninth consecutive Liga win and extended the unbeaten run in the Derbi Barceloni to a flabbergasting 29 games. What a way to welcome in 2026!

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