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Barcelona defeats Espanyol 3-1 in derby to extend LaLiga lead

November 03, 2024 / 11:37 PM
Barcelona defeats Espanyol 3-1 in derby to extend LaLiga lead
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Sharjah 24 – Reuters: Barcelona maintained their lead in LaLiga with a 3-1 victory over Espanyol in the Catalan derby on Sunday. Dani Olmo netted two goals in the first half, followed by Raphinha's strike, marking Barcelona's 27th consecutive unbeaten game against their local rivals.
The win puts Barcelona nine points ahead of Real Madrid, who had their match against Valencia postponed due to flooding. Espanyol sits 17th, just above the relegation zone.

Despite nearly keeping a clean sheet, Espanyol managed a consolation goal from Javi Puado, who benefitted from two disallowed goals due to VAR calls for offside.

Olmo emphasised the importance of their continued success, stating, "It's very important to keep winning... We got the three points, so it's mission accomplished." Barcelona controlled the game early on, with Olmo scoring the opener following a brilliant pass from Lamine Yamal. Raphinha's goal came from a lobbed assist by Marc Casado, and Olmo sealed the first-half scoring with a long-range effort.

Though Espanyol attempted to fight back in the second half, they were unable to find their rhythm against a solid Barcelona defense. Puado acknowledged the challenge of facing such a strong side, saying, "Against these sides, you need to have a perfect game."

Barcelona's head coach Hansi Flick substituted Olmo early in the second half, but the team managed to secure the victory despite a less dominant performance thereafter.
 
November 03, 2024 / 11:37 PM

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