IN SPORT.ES
After the wonderful outing at Villarreal on the weekend, Barcelona fans were hoping for the team to double down and blow Espanyol away, relegating their local rivals emphatically.
That didn’t happen but Barcelona did win, keeping their faint title hopes alive and ensuring the visitors at Camp Nou go down to the second tier of Spanish football.
Barcelona’s first half was unimpressive, with Gerard Pique’s arrival on a bicycle more interesting than much of the football played.
Luis Suarez missed Barcelona’s best chance when played in down the left, while Marc-Andre ter Stegen was alert to keep away Embarba when he was through.
Quique Setien noted the team’s lack of freshness and speed upfront so brought on Ansu Fati for the second half, but the youngster was off almost straight away, dismissed for an over-enthusiastic high challenge. Harsh, maybe, but at least the officials were fair, sending off Espanyol’s Pol Lozano straight after for a similar tackle.
So, 10 each, and it didn’t take long for Barcelona to open the scoring after that. Luis Suarez did it, his fourth goal in as many games.
The Uruguayan stabbed home from close range after good work by Antoine Griezmann and Leo Messi having a shot blocked. The trident, working together again, after their great show last time out. They celebrated together too.
There wasn’t much more to the game, as Espanyol’s time in the top flight slowly petered out. Only a late handball claim against Arturo Vidal could have changed things, but the Chilean substitute blocked Darder’s shot with his shoulder, not his arm.
Victory takes Barcelona to within a point of Real Madrid, who play against Alaves on Friday as they bid to restore their four-point lead.
Espanyol head down to the second division for the first time since they were relegated in 1993. To think they finished seventh last year.