Dani Olmo marked his return from injury in style, scoring twice for Barcelona as they triumphed over local rivals Espanyol with a convincing 3-1 victory on Sunday. This win propels Barcelona nine points clear at the top of La Liga, as second-placed Real Madrid sat idle due to their match at Valencia being postponed amid severe flooding in the area.
Barcelona’s early dominance was evident, with Raphinha adding to Olmo’s two goals to give the hosts a 3-0 lead by the 31st minute at the Olympic Stadium. Espanyol, despite facing a daunting task, fought back in the second half, with Javi Puado netting their lone goal as they sought to avoid a humiliating derby defeat.
Under the management of Hansi Flick, Barcelona has been in exceptional form, securing their 10th win in 11 La Liga matches, following impressive victories over Bayern Munich and Real Madrid last week.
“I feel good, I was really looking forward to returning to help the team on the pitch,” Olmo said to DAZN after his first start since mid-September. “I’m back, enjoying it, playing, winning, and I want more.”
Having previously come off the bench in Barcelona’s last two outings, Olmo showcased his talent with a dynamic first-half performance. The 17-year-old sensation, Lamine Yamal, played a pivotal role in the opener, delivering a stunning outside-of-the-boot pass that Olmo finished emphatically.
Raphinha’s goal followed shortly after, as he deftly lifted the ball over Espanyol’s goalkeeper Joan Garcia, thanks to a precise pass from Marc Casado that split the defence.
Espanyol’s Jofre Carreras had a goal disallowed for offside, as Barcelona’s high defensive line continued to prove effective. Olmo then secured his second with a powerful low shot from the edge of the box, expertly set up by Alejandro Balde.
Despite La Liga’s top scorer Robert Lewandowski being denied by Garcia and seeing several goals disallowed, Barcelona maintained control. Espanyol pressed on, with Puado finally breaking through, only to have a second goal ruled out for an earlier offside.
Puado commented, “In the second half we corrected mistakes, had chances, but going 3-0 down makes it hard to come back.” As the match drew to a close, Ansu Fati found the net for Barcelona, only for his effort to be ruled offside, capping a frustrating second half for the visitors.
