La-Liga: Barcelona beat Espanyol 4-1 to move nine points ahead of Real Madrid

Barcelona took a big step towards retaining the LaLiga title on Saturday with a 4-1 home win over city rivals Espanyol to move nine points clear of second-placed Real Madrid.

Ferran Torres struck twice, assisted both times by Lamine Yamal, first with a header from a corner in the 10th minute before doubling the lead in the 25th, racing clear after another Yamal pass.

Espanyol pulled one back in the 56th minute when Pol Lozano rifled home a rebound from just inside the penalty area, but Yamal restored control in the 87th after a quick counter, with Marcus Rashford adding a fourth from Frenkie De Jong’s cross.

Barcelona climbed to 79 points with seven games remaining, while Real lost ground after a 1-1 draw against Girona on Friday.

“It’s not over until we win the league, but it’s only up to us and that’s a great feeling,” Torres said. DAZN.

«It was a tough, hard-fought match, the result doesn’t tell the whole story. It was close, a few small mistakes almost cost us dearly. But we are proud of our performance.»

Hansi Flick opted for a full-strength squad despite Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final with the second leg against Atletico Madrid looming, where Barcelona must overturn a 2-0 deficit in the first leg at Camp Nou.

TORRES DOES EARLY DAMAGE HELPED BY YAMAL

Torres did the early damage, scoring twice in a dominant first half anchored by the unstoppable Yamal.

The 18-year-old provided both assists as Barcelona monopolized possession, although clear openings were costly.

The breakthrough came when Yamal drove a corner towards the far post from the right. Goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic collided awkwardly with a teammate in the six-yard box, leaving Torres with the easiest task of nodding into an unguarded net.

Torres then doubled the lead after another sharp contribution from Yamal.

The winger dominated the ball close to the right flank and guided a perfectly weighted pass through the defense, allowing the striker to race clear, beat the offside trap and power a composed finish past the advancing Dmitrovic.

Espanyol responded almost immediately, with Tyrhys Dolan rattling the crossbar with an angled strike from the area.

However, it wasn’t until the 56th minute that the visitors found hope when Edu Exposito burst forward on the right and delivered a cross that was only half cleared.

The loose ball fell invitingly to Lozano and he fired an unstoppable shot just inside the left post to reduce the deficit.

Espanyol pressed with more urgency, and Barcelona faltered briefly as the match intensified. But the hosts regained control in the 87th after another unfortunate incident for Dmitrovic.

Marc Casado’s long pass was miscontrolled by Espanyol’s goalkeeper, whose effort deflected past Yamal and fell so gently for the teenage sensation to tap into an empty net.

Two minutes later the points were beyond doubt. De Jong controlled a loose ball on the right side of the penalty area and slotted the ball into the box for Rashford, who sent home a volley from close range to complete a convincing derby triumph.

Published on April 12, 2026