The 2025-26 competition:

Late goals from Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski gave La Liga leaders Barcelona a hard-fought 2-0 win over Espanyol in the Catalan derby on Saturday, with goalkeeper Joan Garcia playing a key role against his former club.

Barca extended its lead in the Spanish rankings with 49 points, seven points ahead of second-placed Real Madrid, who host Real Betis on Sunday. Espanyol remains fifth on 33.

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In a physical and hard-fought match, Espanyol came close to opening the scoring on several occasions, but it was Barcelona who struck four minutes from time when Olmo produced a brilliant finish into the far corner after a pass from Fermin Lopez.

Lopez then burst down the right flank to set up Lewandowski in the 90th minute and provided his second assist of the night as Barcelona sealed the victory and silenced a fiery RCDE Stadium.

Garcia proved crucial throughout, producing a series of excellent saves to frustrate Espanyol and secure victory for Barcelona, ​​while remaining calm under the intense pressure from the home crowd when facing his former club.

Published on January 4, 2026