In Matchday 18 of La Liga, Espanyol lost 0–2 at home to Barcelona in the derby. The outcome was decided late in the second half. This was reported by kursiv.uz.reports.
The visitors largely controlled possession and the tempo, but there were not many clear chances. Espanyol responded through set pieces and battles in the box. In several moments, goalkeepers Garcia and Dmitrovic kept their teams in the game.
After the break, the match opened up: the hosts failed to convert a one-on-one. Barcelona then created a string of dangerous attacks, and despite a rising xG, the goalkeepers kept the score unchanged for a long time.
The decisive turning point came after Fermin and Olmo were introduced. In the 86th minute, Fermin carried the ball through the middle, and Olmo, receiving a pass from the left flank, struck precisely into the upper far corner to open the scoring.
Barcelona’s pressure paid off again late on: Lewandowski was first to a rebound in the penalty area and calmly finished. That goal ended all questions about the winner.
Read “Zamin” on Telegram!
