Barcelona: Dani Olmo, the Spanish midfielder made a triumphant return to Barcelona's starting lineup, scoring twice to lead his team to a 3-1 victory over Espanyol in a thrilling Catalan derby on Sunday. Raphinha also found the net, as Barcelona extended its unbeaten run against Espanyol to 27 league matches.
Olmo, back in form after a hamstring injury in September, opened the scoring in the 12th minute with a close-range finish off a stylish cross from Lamine Yamal. He doubled the lead in the 31st with a powerful strike from outside the box, marking his fifth goal in just five appearances this season.
Raphinha added Barcelona’s second goal in the 23rd minute, deftly redirecting Marc Casadó's cross to push the lead further. Espanyol, battling relegation in 17th place, saw two goals disallowed for offside, with Javi Puado finally scoring a consolation goal in the 63rd minute.
The win, Barcelona's latest in a dominant season, now puts them nine points ahead of Real Madrid, whose match against Valencia was postponed due to the deadly floods in southern Spain. Barcelona has outscored its league opponents 40-11 in just 12 matches, with Olmo crediting the team's "direct play and constant scoring threats."
Before kickoff, Barcelona honored recent Ballon d'Or award recipients, including young star Yamal, who won the Kopa Trophy, and Aitana Bonmatí, recognized as the world’s best female player. A moment of silence was observed for the flood victims, marking a solemn moment before the thrilling match.
Meanwhile, Giuliano Simeone, son of Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone, celebrated his first goal for Atletico in their 2-0 win over Las Palmas, as Atletico reclaimed third place, 10 points behind Barcelona.
With PTI inputs