Barcelona extend the unbeaten run to 6 games after Espanyol win

Hansi Flick surprised by deploying Eric Garcia in midfield alongside captain Frenkie de Jong, while Marc Casado and Pedri were left on the bench. The front four remained unchanged, with Marcus Rashford, Raphinha and Lamine Yamal supporting Ferran Torres in the striker role.

In the opening minutes, Barcelona were under serious pressure as Espanyol created several dangerous counter-attacks. However, an outstanding performance from goalkeeper Joan Garcia helped Barcelona keep a clean sheet. After the break, Barcelona continued to push for a breakthrough but were unable to find a goal for much of the second half.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 86th minute when Fermin Lopez found Dani Olmo, who scored the opening goal for Barcelona. Just three minutes later, Fermin provided another assist, this time for fellow substitute Robert Lewandowski, to seal a 2-0 victory.

"I am happy and pleased with the three points," the German coach added. "The other things have to change, but in the end I am really happy about that. We have to say that Espanyol played a fantastic game. It was an unbelievable atmosphere in this stadium, a derby, I really enjoyed it. We didn't deserve it, I will be honest".

"But in the end, the quality we brought on after the changes decided the game. This shows the quality we have, but I don't celebrate the first 80 minutes and how we played. Espanyol had intensity, a good dynamic, were good in the air. We suffered a lot. But we got the two goals, three points and maybe it sends a message to LaLiga and for us it is very important".

With the win, Barcelona remain top of La Liga on 49 points, seven points clear of Real Madrid, although they have played one game more. Later tonight, Madrid will face Real Betis at the Bernabeu in their first match of 2026. A victory for Alonso’s side would cut the gap to four points, while a draw or defeat would leave the title race increasingly out of reach.

Barcelona will now turn their attention to the Supercopa de España, starting with the semi-final against Athletic Bilbao, before a potential final if they progress. Their next La Liga fixture is away to Real Sociedad on 19 January.