The Catalans thrashed a totally surpassed Espanyol with a brace from Lewandowski, Balde and Koundé
The match ended with an invasion of the field by the blue and white radicals after the celebration of Xavi’s players
It was his first ‘match-ball’ and Barça did not fail. The League is already in the bag. The first win in the field of the rival citizen. And it was achieved after an incontestable victory in the derby against Espanyol, which did not seem to be playing the category. Xavi said in the preview that both teams were risking their lives in the game but only the Catalans took the field aware of it. Lewandowski, who already smells like a top scorer, an Imperial Bucket and a Koundé who had a great game on the side, have signed the goals in a Barca duel. It has been a full-fledged bathroom. Of those who hurt
ESP
FCB
LINEUPS
RCD Espanyol
Pacheco Óscar Gil, Cabrera, Montes, Sergi Gómez (Calero, 45′), Brian Oliván (Koleosho, 84′), Denis Suárez (Puado, 45′), Sergi Darder, Melamed (Edu Expósito, 86′), Braithwaite (Pedrosa, 55′) Joselu.
FC Barcelona
Ter Stegen; Koundé, Araujo (Alba, 62′), Christensen (Marcos Alonso, 74′), Bucket; Frenkie, Busquets, Pedri (Kessie, 89′), Raphinha (Dembélé, 62′), Lewandowski, Gavi (Ansu Fati, 74′)
goals
Lewandowski (10′), Balde 0-2 (20′), Lewandowski (40′) 0-3, Koundé (53′) 0-4 Puado (72′), Joselu 2-4 92′)
Referee
Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea (Biscayan committee). He showed yellow cards to Darder (39′), Gavi (39′), Alba (81′)
incidences
Match corresponding to day 34 of the League. Played at the RCD Stadiuem in front of 27,360 spectators.
Barça has given the image of champion. Well planted on the pitch, he has known how to play perfectly with his nerves and control the emotional factor perfectly. Playing with patience, Xavi’s men have found in Balde the differential factor to break the game. The young winger (who will renew soon!) has had a snack on Óscar Gil at all times and in one of his runs he has been served by a great ball that Lewandowski has finished off anticipating his marker. This connection has worked very well this season.
Pedri could have scored a few minutes earlier after a great collective move that left him alone against Pacheco but his shot went wide when everything was in his favour. Xavi lamented it vehemently from the band.
More pending to protest the referee and insult Barça than anything else, the goal against has been a tremendous emotional blow for a totally surpassed Espanyol. Despite the offensive improvement with Luis García, they are still very weak at the back and make unforgivable mistakes when you are risking your life. Pedri had it easy to enter the area and put a cross to the far post that Balde finished off into the net simply by putting his leg, which his defender did not do. A matter of desire, of being involved in a game.
The Espanyol public asked their team to press more, to go look for Barça in their field but they have not seen each other with too much force. The 0-2 was not expected and they seemed like a totally defeated team.
And the finishing touch has been 0-3, again from Lewandowski After a recovery by Busquets close to the rival area, he passed the ball to Raphinha, who was rewarded with the title for his good work during Dembélé’s absence, so that he could serve the Pole the third.
The blue and white fans said enough. Some even went home. From the insults to Barça he went on to ask for the head of the board, much more responsible for the disaster of the season. And Espanyol, in addition, lacked that little bit of luck to get into the game before the break after Ter Stegen shone against Braithwaite just before the break.
Joselu finished off high right at the start of the second half but it was only an anecdote and not the start of a script change. The Catalans have continued to dominate at will and do a lot of damage on a footballing and moral level. A delicatessen assist from Frenkie de Jong helped Koundé to score the fourth.
Surely, everyone would have signed for De Burgos Bengoetxea to whistle the end of the game. Barça because they already wanted to sing the alirón and Espanyol and their fans to save themselves suffering and more embarrassment. But there were still many minutes to play. Xavi has taken advantage of them to put Dembélé and Jordi Alba on the field in the place of Raphinha and Araujo displacing Balde to the right side. Espanyol wanted to make up the result and Puado gave him pride, first forcing Ter Stegen to intervene and then scoring a nice Vaseline goal that the referee annulled in the first instance for offside but that the VAR later validated. The blue and whites kept pressing in the last minutes for a matter of dignity and Joselu had a pretty clear one. Lewandowski was also able to sign a ‘hat trick’ but he crossed his shot too much.
In the last minutes, Barça wanted to slow down and put an end to the exchange of blows and Busquets (what a great farewell in a derby) got together with Pedri and De Jong to let the derby die. Joselu scored the second at the last minute with half a Barça bench almost inside the field. With the final whistle, the players hugged each other in the central circle and celebrated the league title to the cheers of the Espanyol fans.
The most radical of the Espanyol fans invaded the field of play and forced the forces of order to intervene. A bad end to a derby that left Barça as League champions and Luis García’s men with a very difficult future in first division.