A game of two halves ended with Barcelona winning the Catalan derby 3-0. Two goals from Luis Suarez and one from Ivan Rakitic sealed the win for Barcelona in the second half after both sides went into half time 0-0. The last time Espanyol beat their rivals was in 2007 and their abysmal record against Barcelona continued.
Here are the talking points from the game.
#1 Espanyol start on the front foot
In a scrappy opening 20 minutes of the game, Espanyol suffocated Barcelona with their high energy, intensity and closing down which didn’t allow the latter to get into any rhythm. Barcelona tried to get on top of Espanyol but the home side stayed tight at the back and apart from a Neymar half chance, which David Lopez blocked superbly, the Blaugrana did not create many chances.
Espanyol’s physical approach to the game stopped the visitors in their tracks, preventing them from creating many chances. The home side even created a superb chance but Jurado could not find a telling finish.
They were solid and well organised at the back while their intensity and energy in midfield made it a fierce derby game to watch early on.
#2 MSN quiet in the first half
Lionel Messi showed glimpses of his class but was closed down fast by Espanyol defenders. Quique Sanchez Flores’s tactics were bang on working as his side refused to give Barcelona’s attacking trio of Messi, Suarez and Neymar any room or freedom to operate.
Apart from a few almost half chances, Espanyol restricted their rivals to very few sights at goal and Barcelona’s trio up front were made to feed off scraps. The first half finished 0-0 with Espanyol’ s game plan working perfectly. However, the second half would be completely different.
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#3 Luis Suarez took advantage of Espanyol’s only error in 50 minutes
Barcelona came out of the tunnel in the second half a much more purposeful side and began to pressurise Espanyol. The home side defended well and with concentration for 50 minutes but Jurado’s poor back pass was snatched by Luis Suarez who went 1 v 1 with Diego Lopez and finished well to give Barcelona the lead.
The entire team’s collective effort was undone by Jurado’s bad backpass with the outside of his foot and it gave Barcelona a vital lead from their first clear-cut chance of the game. Until that moment Barcelona did not create any significant chances and they were gifted a goal by Espanyol rather fortunately.
#4 Messi’s brilliant run undid Espanyol’s hard work
Lionel Messi proved to be the telling difference yet again, in a game in which he was tightly marked and closed down. The Argentine turned a nothing ball into a break and ran through the heart of Espanyol’s midfield to top of the box and set up Rakitic for a simple finish.
The Croatian midfielder made no mistake by slotting the ball into the net to score his 8th goal in La Liga. But it was Messi’s run that undid Espanyol’s hard work.
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#5 Another mistake allowed Suarez to put the game to bed
For all that Espanyol put into the game to deny Barcelona any chances, they shot themselves in the foot late on in the game. Aaron could not clear Lionel Messi’s cross and the ball dropped kindly for Luis Suarez to wrap up the game 3-0.
Suarez got his second of the game with instinctive poaching and put the game beyond all doubt in the 87th minute. Espanyol will surely look back at the game and regret the mistakes they made after performing admirably in the first half to deny Barcelona any openings or sights at goal.
Quique Sanchez Flores’s game-plan was undone by two crucial mistakes or else Espanyol could have at least got a draw out of the game. Barcelona have now beaten Espanyol 13 times in the last 16 games.
