Dani Olmo marked his return to the starting lineup with a brilliant brace, helping Barcelona secure a 3-1 derby win over Espanyol on Sunday and stretching their lead at the top of La Liga to nine points.
Raphinha scored the second in between Olmo’s strikes, giving Barcelona a comfortable 3-0 lead by the half-hour mark at the Olympic Stadium. Espanyol rallied in the second half, with Javi Puado finally pulling one back after three disallowed goals.
Under new manager Hansi Flick, Barcelona are in sensational form, claiming their 10th win in 11 La Liga matches after recent victories over Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. Olmo, who had recently returned from injury, was influential from the start, setting the tone with his clinical finishing and sharp movement.
“We knew Espanyol would give everything but we got the three points, so it’s objective complete,” Olmo said post-match.
Barcelona’s high defensive line frustrated Espanyol, who saw three goals ruled out for offside and one due to the ball going out of play. Despite their second-half push, Espanyol could not close the gap, and Barcelona held firm to extend their dominance in La Liga.
