Barcelona stayed in first place in the La Liga making them the champions with a strong, 2-0 victory against Espanyol, with the team getting both of their goals after halftime from players Lamine Yamal and Fermin López. Yamal opened the scoring with a sensational curling effort in the 53rd minute, and later turned provider for López in stoppage time (90+5′) to wrap up the title. Despite not scoring in the first half, Barcelona took control in the second and managed to win the game. The win was a big one for them, especially because they got to win the title in the stadium of their main competitors.
Espanyol’s Missed Opportunities
The team’s struggle to make points from their early opportunities proved to be very costly. They led Valladolid in the first half, with González and Puado missing their chances after beating Barca’s players one-on-one. After half time, their chances to attack became less, and L. Cabrera’s red card in the final minutes reduced their possibilities even more. Discipline issues and some defensive mistakes — making up four yellows and one red card, gave Barcelona an upper hand.
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What Espanyol Could Have Done Differently
To change the outcome, Espanyol had to make better use of their chances and be more accurate when shooting or finishing. If either had scored within the first half, it could have changed the balance and made things harder for Barcelona. Playing in a shorter defensive line might have helped the team stop Barca’s lively wingers, and especially Yamal. Tactical discipline and keeping emotions in cheque were also really important if they hadn’t picked up so many bookings or card penalties, they would have stayed in the game for longer. Making better use of Cheddira and Milla at the end of the game might have helped the team score some more goals.
