Olmo and Lewandowski hand Barca late derby delight
Late goals from substitutes Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski earned LaLiga leader Barcelona a hard-fought 2–0 victory over Espanyol in the Catalan derby, with goalkeeper Joan Garcia playing a key role against his former club.
Barca extended its lead atop the Spanish standings with 49 points, seven clear of second-placed Real Madrid, which hosts Real Betis on Monday (AEDT). Espanyol remains fifth on 33, but will rue a succession of chances in this game before Barcelona took the lead.
In a physical and tightly contested match Espanyol came close to opening the scoring on several occasions but it was Barcelona that struck four minutes from time when Olmo produced a superb first-time finish into the far corner after a pass from Fermin Lopez.
Lopez then surged down the right flank to set up Lewandowski in the 90th minute, providing his second assist of the night as Barcelona sealed the win and silenced a stunned RCDE Stadium.
Garcia proved crucial throughout, delivering a series of outstanding saves to frustrate Espanyol and secure the win for Barcelona, remaining composed under intense pressure from the home crowd as he faced his former club.
A gutsy Espanyol was the more threatening side for long stretches, pressing aggressively and carving out several clear chances, but it was repeatedly denied by Garcia, who was unfazed by the hostile reception from his former supporters.
The Barcelona goalkeeper produced a string of outstanding saves, denying Pere Milla with a point-blank header in the first half before stopping Roberto Fernandez twice in quick succession and stretching low to keep out a curling effort from Carlos Romero as the hosts piled on pressure.
Barcelona struggled to impose itself for much of the contest, dominating possession without a cutting edge, but the match swung after changes from coach Hansi Flick, who introduced Lewandowski, Olmo and Lopez in the second half, substitutions that added energy and proved decisive.
Before the breakthrough, Espanyol goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic had kept his side level, pushing away a header from Jules Kounde before producing a point-blank save to deny Eric Garcia in a derby shaped by fine goalkeeping at both ends.
Barcelona will look to carry its momentum into next week's Spanish Super Cup semi-final against Athletic Club.
