MADRID — Dani Olmo made a significant impact in his return as a starter for Barcelona, scoring two goals in a decisive 3-1 victory over Espanyol during the city derby in La Liga on Sunday.
Raphinha also joined in on the scoring spree for Barcelona, which had previously achieved an impressive 4-0 win against Real Madrid in the clasico held at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium just a week prior.
This triumph places Barcelona nine points ahead of Madrid, which faced a postponed match against Valencia due to devastating floods last week that claimed over 200 lives in southern Spain.
Similarly, the matchup between Villarreal and Rayo Vallecano was also postponed, along with three other scheduled matches in the second division for the weekend.
The win further extends Barcelona’s remarkable unbeaten run against Espanyol to 27 matches in the league. Espanyol, now languishing in 17th place, has suffered six defeats in their last seven league encounters.
Olmo’s double came during his starting return after previously injuring his right hamstring on September 15 against Girona. Prior to this match, he had contributed off the bench in recent victories over Bayern Munich in the Champions League and Madrid in the league.
He opened the scoring in the 12th minute, netting from close range after receiving an outside-of-the-foot cross from Lamine Yamal. Just before the 31-minute mark, Olmo secured his second goal with a powerful strike from outside the box.
In what is his inaugural season with Barcelona, Olmo has now scored five goals in just five appearances.
Raphinha continued the surge in the 23rd minute by deftly redirecting Marc Casadó’s lengthy cross into the net.
Barcelona has demonstrated remarkable offensive prowess, outscoring its league rivals 40-11 across 12 matches, with Madrid currently holding second place in scoring with 21 goals.
Espanyol believed they had reduced the deficit in the 27th minute when Jofre Carrera’s goal was ruled out for offside after a video review. A similar disallowance occurred for Álvaro Tejero in the 58th minute, before Javi Puado finally managed to score for Espanyol in the 63rd minute, which counted.
Notably, Barcelona also had a goal disallowed during stoppage time.
Prior to the match, Barcelona took a moment to recognize individuals who received awards at the recent Ballon d’Or ceremony, including Yamal, who earned the Kopa Trophy for best Under-21 player, and Aitana Bonmatí, who was named the best female soccer player in the world. Additionally, the team was awarded as the best women’s club.
A moment of silence was observed in remembrance of the flood victims, a tribute that marked all league matches throughout the weekend.
In other news, Giuliano Simeone, the son of Atletico Madrid’s coach Diego Simeone, celebrated a milestone by scoring his first goal for the club during their 2-0 triumph over Las Palmas.
This goal holds special significance, coming more than two decades after Diego Simeone last scored in the league as a player for the same club.
Alexander Sorloth added the second goal for Atletico on Sunday, boosting the club back to third place in the standings, with a 10-point gap from leaders Barcelona.
Raphinha also joined in on the scoring spree for Barcelona, which had previously achieved an impressive 4-0 win against Real Madrid in the clasico held at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium just a week prior.
This triumph places Barcelona nine points ahead of Madrid, which faced a postponed match against Valencia due to devastating floods last week that claimed over 200 lives in southern Spain.
Similarly, the matchup between Villarreal and Rayo Vallecano was also postponed, along with three other scheduled matches in the second division for the weekend.
The win further extends Barcelona’s remarkable unbeaten run against Espanyol to 27 matches in the league. Espanyol, now languishing in 17th place, has suffered six defeats in their last seven league encounters.
Olmo’s double came during his starting return after previously injuring his right hamstring on September 15 against Girona. Prior to this match, he had contributed off the bench in recent victories over Bayern Munich in the Champions League and Madrid in the league.
He opened the scoring in the 12th minute, netting from close range after receiving an outside-of-the-foot cross from Lamine Yamal. Just before the 31-minute mark, Olmo secured his second goal with a powerful strike from outside the box.
In what is his inaugural season with Barcelona, Olmo has now scored five goals in just five appearances.
Raphinha continued the surge in the 23rd minute by deftly redirecting Marc Casadó’s lengthy cross into the net.
Barcelona has demonstrated remarkable offensive prowess, outscoring its league rivals 40-11 across 12 matches, with Madrid currently holding second place in scoring with 21 goals.
Espanyol believed they had reduced the deficit in the 27th minute when Jofre Carrera’s goal was ruled out for offside after a video review. A similar disallowance occurred for Álvaro Tejero in the 58th minute, before Javi Puado finally managed to score for Espanyol in the 63rd minute, which counted.
Notably, Barcelona also had a goal disallowed during stoppage time.
Prior to the match, Barcelona took a moment to recognize individuals who received awards at the recent Ballon d’Or ceremony, including Yamal, who earned the Kopa Trophy for best Under-21 player, and Aitana Bonmatí, who was named the best female soccer player in the world. Additionally, the team was awarded as the best women’s club.
A moment of silence was observed in remembrance of the flood victims, a tribute that marked all league matches throughout the weekend.
In other news, Giuliano Simeone, the son of Atletico Madrid’s coach Diego Simeone, celebrated a milestone by scoring his first goal for the club during their 2-0 triumph over Las Palmas.
This goal holds special significance, coming more than two decades after Diego Simeone last scored in the league as a player for the same club.
Alexander Sorloth added the second goal for Atletico on Sunday, boosting the club back to third place in the standings, with a 10-point gap from leaders Barcelona.