After a devastating first leg defeat in the Champions League quarter-final against Atletico Madrid, it was back down to business in La Liga for Barcelona.
With Real Madrid having only drawn at home to Girona on Friday night, Barca would have the chance to go nine points clear at the top of the table with a win in the Catalan derby against Espanyol, a team that came into the game without a win in 13 league games (L8, D5).
It’s Los Periquitos’ worst run since February 2009, and Barca would extend their
record of H2H unbeaten games to 30 if they avoided defeat at Camp Nou.
Given that Hansi Flick’s side had won all 15 previous home matches this season, with 10 of the last 11 being by a 2+ goal margin, the game was there for the taking.
Let’s take a look at three talking points from the match…
Ferran finally ends goal drought
It’s taken two and a half months, but how good was it to see Ferran back on the scoresheet again?
As all strikers do at periods in their careers, he’s gone through a barren patch in front of goal, though his brace on Saturday gives him 14 league goals for the season.
Whilst it’s true that Espanyol were the most accommodating of opponents for long periods, Ferran has struggled in other games where Barca were well on top, so the lack of fight from Los Periquitos shouldn’t really be used as an excuse to justify why he scored.
Has he done enough this season to earn himself a spot in the squad in 26/27? Perhaps that’s a question that will be definitively answered over the remaining games. In any case, his return to goalscoring form comes at a good time.
Is Gavi worthy of a starting spot?
It was fantastic to see Gavi back in the starting XI after so long, and another all-action performance earned him the plaudits from those in the stadium.
A stupid yellow card received – perhaps unfairly – tempered his physicality thereafter, though, like Fermin, Gavi’s will to win does give the team something extra.
The issue is whether that’s enough to ensure he takes up one of those starting midfield spots week in and week out.
Once upon a time, he would’ve been a shoo-in alongside Pedri, but other options for Hansi Flick – and the fact that he’s still on his way back from a long lay-off – mean that a start for Gavi is no longer guaranteed.
Job done… in the end
To say that the win was a relief recognises that Barca were close to throwing this one away during the second half.
On the balance of play in the entire game, the scoreline was arguably a fair reflection, though there was certainly a period where a second Espanyol goal could’ve put the cat amongst the pigeons.
Lamine Yamal once again proved crucial on his 100th La Liga appearance and helped finish off Espanyol, along with crucial contributions from substitutes Marcus Rashford, Marc Casado and Frenkie de Jong.
Ultimately, Barca go nine points ahead of Real Madrid, and that, frankly, is all that matters at this point of the season.
