Barcelona nailed the 28th La Liga crown with an emphatic 2-0 win over the Catalan rivals Espanyol at the RCD Stadium and ended the title race with two fixtures left.
Brawling right from the off, basically Espanyol nearly snatched away a shock lead through Urko Gonzalez in the fourth minute. Despite dominating possession in the early stages, Barcelona’s usually free-flowing passing was shut down by Espanyol’s intense pressing. Lewandowski and Pedri almost scored, but the goal never came until the interval had passed.
The teenager Yamal broke through the deadlock with a wonderful curling shot seven minutes after precious time, reviving the seen limp Barcelona attack. Szczesny once again saved the day for the Giallorossi before crucial saves were made that assured the hosts staying domestically.
Espanyol were left with dashed hopes when Cabrera was sent off late for a punch on Yamal. Lopez slotted the icing on the cake in stoppage time with a powerful strike following some slick teamwork.
This win comprised a domestic treble for the Hansi Flick team and stretched their unbeaten La Liga run to 16 (W14 D2), their best since 2021. Espanyol, though, are still relegation-threatened and will need a point from their last two matches to retain their top-flight status.
