BARCELONA: La Liga leaders Barcelona beat Espanyol 3-1 in the Catalan derby on Sunday thanks to a first-half double from Dani Olmo and a goal from Raphinha to extend their unbeaten run over their local rivals to 27 games.

The victory moved Barcelona nine points clear of Real Madrid, who did not play at Valencia this weekend after their match was postponed due to the devastating floods in the region. Espanyol are 17th, a point above the relegation zone.

Barcelona, who thrashed Real Madrid 4-0 last weekend, could have kept another clean sheet but Javi Puado scored for Espanyol, who were unlucky to have two goals chalked off by VAR for marginal offsides.

“We’re going little by little, it’s very important to keep winning. We’ve come off a good week. Espanyol weren’t going to come here and give us anything but we got the three points, so it’s mission accomplished,” Olmo said.

Olmo opened the scoring in 12th minute courtesy of a sumptuous pass by Spanish prodigy Lamine Yamal.

Barca’s second goal came from another sublime assist from near the centre circle when Marc Casado’s lob over the defence found Raphinha who chipped his shot over the onrushing keeper to make it 2-0.

Olmo’s struck again in the 31st minute when he found space outside the box and pulled the trigger, beating the outstretched arm of keeper Joan Garcia.

Olmo had no opportunity to grab a hat-trick when Hansi Flick withdrew him 10 minutes into the second half.

Espanyol finally got on the board when Carlos Romero found Puado, who managed to beat Inaki Pena in Barca’s goal.

Barcelona were not as effective in attack in the second half, especially after Olmo’s withdrawal, but Flick’s side did enough to claim the three points.

“In the first half they were finding each other easily in the middle and they had a shot from outside the box, we changed that and rectified it in the second half,” Puado said.

Earlier, Atletico Madrid eased to a 2-0 win over Las Palmas and moved third, with coach Diego Simeone’s son Giuliano netting his first goal for the club.

Atletico coach Diego Simeone had said there was “no sense” in playing La Liga matches this weekend because of the floods, but his team secured an easy win.

Donations were collected outside the Metropolitano stadium in support of those affected in the east of Spain by the floods which have killed more than 200 people.

“I’m very happy for my first goal for Atl­e­tico but we can’t ignore everything that’s happening in Valencia, the victims there. I support them,” said Giuliano Simeone.

The hosts took the lead after 37 minutes when Nahuel Molina’s long ball found Simeone darting in behind the defence. The striker, deployed on the right wing by his father, burst into the box and swept the ball into the far corner.

Elsewhere, Athletic Bilbao and Real Be­tis shared a 1-1 draw at San Mames.

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2024