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Barcelona travelled to Espanyol to play the Catalan derby in LaLiga, and the away side emerged as comfortable winners, thrashing Espanyol 4-0.
Lionel Messi opened the scoring with a free-kick, and Ousmane Dembele doubled the lead soon after. Luis Suarez made it 3-0 with a finish from a tight angle, and Messi netted another free-kick in the second half to wrap up the points for his side.
Espanyol did score through Oscar Duarte, but the goal was chalked off by VAR due to an offside infringement spotted. The game was a tough one for Espanyol to take, and their miserable record in this fixture continues.
Here are the major talking points from a dominant Barcelona display:
#5 Lionel Messi dominates Espanyol
As he has done for most of his career, Lionel Messi ran the show again on the pitch, leading his team to a comfortable win. He opened the scoring with a glorious free-kick, and then he set up Dembele for the second goal after a dribbling back and forth.
The Argentine rounded off the scoring with yet another free-kick, and this one was even better than the first. The week which elapsed was not a kind one for Messi though, as he finished fifth in the Ballon d'Or rankings on Monday, which is arguably far less than he deserved.
Then Brazilian legend Pele said that Messi 'shoots with one leg, only has one skill and doesn’t head the ball well.' He said that both himself and Diego Maradona were better than the Barcelona star. That's the way to shush your critics, right, Lionel? He also became the only player to score 10+ goals in 13 consecutive LaLiga seasons. Just a stat.
#4 Dembele produces another masterful display
Nobody is doubting Ousmane Dembele's talent. The young Frenchman has tons of it, but it is his temperament which has hindered his progress at Barcelona. But his situation seems to have taken a turn for the best, and his display against Espanyol was a testament to that.
He scored a sumptuous goal with a curling effort to make it 2-0 before he slipped in a perfect pass for Luis Suarez to score. Dembele made 3 key passes, 3 tackles, and completed 2 dribbles. His link-up play with Messi and Suarez was pretty good, and despite some loose moments, it was an impactful performance by the youngster.
Philippe Coutinho was left on the bench, and Dembele's showing might convince Valverde that this front three is good to go for Barca. This season in the LaLiga, Dembele's goals and assists have earned crucial points for the Catalans. It seems as though he has cemented his starting spot now, so expect more of the same.
#3 Vidal is looking like a shrewd acquisition
Many speculated if Arturo Vidal would find a place in the side when he was signed in the summer, and the early weeks supported their argument. But the Chilean's Barca career has taken off in recent weeks. He put in another solid display against Espanyol, a game which saw his third consecutive league start.
Injuries to Arthur and Sergi Roberto has thrust Vidal into the lineup, and he has responded well. He may not be technically as good as Arthur, but his energy and drive have been useful. Valverde can rely on him to give his all in each game, and his presence has provided some bit in midfield, not unlike to what Paulinho did last season.
He looks primed to start in midfield for a couple of weeks, which is a turnaround for a player who was not near the first eleven in the early part of the season.
#2 Espanyol's bad run continues
Despite the stark contrast between the two clubs in recent years, the Catalan derby is always a matter of pride for Espanyol. But Barcelona routed them this time, which stretched their poor run in the league.
The derby defeat was their fourth consecutive in LaLiga, which has meant that they have dropped to eighth in the table. They have scored just two goals in that time, and coach Rubi definitely needs to turn his side's fortunes around.
The Catalan side has fallen off after a bright start, and they will hope that this poor run will be terminated soon. Qualification for European football next season is still a real possibility, owing to the closely clustered clubs above them in the table. But the sides below them are just as close as well, and another loss could mean yet another drop in the table.
#1 Despite the win, it is still close at the top
Barcelona extended their lead at the top of the LaLiga table to three points, as Sevilla conceded a stoppage-time equaliser to Valencia. Both Sevilla and Atletico Madrid are on 28 points, trailing Barca by three points.
Atletico won 3-0 against Alaves earlier in the day to draw level on points with Barcelona, but the Catalans pulled away. Due to the defeat, Alaves seem to have dropped off, as they now trail the leaders by seven points.
The battle at the top is as close as it has been in quite some time, and it is refreshing to see the duopoly of Barca and Real Madrid broken. It is bound to be a close title race, and both Sevilla and Atletico could push Barca till the very end. After last season, a close title race could be a great change of script.
