Three talking points from Espanyol 0-2 Barcelona | OneFootball

Barcelona were theoretically the favourites against Espanyol in the Catalan derby last night, but as derbies often unfold, the game was anything but easy.

The Blaugrana were restricted from playing freely in the first half, did not get the possession spell they strive for and were made uncomfortable to no end by their local rivals.

After the break, however, Lamine Yamal’s goal and assist to Fermin Lopez helped seal the deal but an equally large shoutout goes to the defence and Wojciech Szczesny for their great performances.

The win at the RCDE Stadium crowns Barcelona the champions of Spain, and deservedly so for they have been the best team in the league by a sizeable margin.

Barça Universal brings you three talking points from Espanyol 0-2 Barcelona.

Lamine Yamal’s ridiculous quality

Lamine Yamal has continually remained one of Barcelona’s best players all season, but his form in recent months has taken him to another level.

His two games against Inter Milan and the two Clasico masterclasses showed that pressure means nothing to him, and last night he once again worked his magic to take his team to the league title.

Yamal was not at his vintage best in the first half, especially with Espanyol catching Barcelona by surprise with their press and heavily marking the teenager.

After the halftime break, however, Yamal was simply unstoppable and ran the show for the Blaugrana.

In the 53rd minute when all doors to Joan Garcia’s goal looked closed, he took the ball alone, drove centrally, and struck a magnificent strike into the top corner from outside the box. Words do not do justice to his strike and how well executed it was.

Towards to end of the game, it was again Yamal who found Fermin Lopez for the game-sealing goal with a pass that not many players in the world could have seen.

From being in the conversation as one of the best young talents to already being accepted as the best player in the world, Yamal has come a long way and it is thoroughly deserved.

A statement performance from Christensen

Christensen was brilliant vs Espanyol. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Inigo Martinez was unavailable for Barcelona’s game last night and the team thus was set to see a new look defence.

Hansi Flick, however, dropped a massive surprise when he announced the starting lineup with Pau Cubarsi rested and the duo of Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen starting.

For the Danish international, it was his first start of the season as he missed most of the campaign through injury and he left a seriously commendable impression with his performance.

Christensen was brilliant with his decision-making on the night, held the offside line with perfection and was flawless with his distribution with no signs of rustiness.

He covered serious ground to cut off Espanyol’s counterattacks and his tackles were timed to perfection more often than not.

What impressed the most, however, was his instinctive decision making especially when he decided to not lunge into a last-man challenge in the first half, trusting his goalkeeper instead.

When Flick decided to bring on Cubarsi in the second half, he took out Ronald Araujo and retained Christensen in what is a massive statement of the value he sees in the Dane.

Last night’s performance, needless to say, was a big message to Flick that Christensen is tailor-made for his system that requires technically astute defenders.

Champions of Spain, officially

The league season has been long and strenuous for Barcelona with its fair share of ups and downs through its course.

From leading at the beginning after their flying start to going on a slump towards the end of the year and allowing Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid ahead of them, Barcelona have seen a roller coaster ride in the competition.

It all culminated last night with the win at the RCDE Stadium in the Catalan derby, for the result was enough to see the Blaugrana mathematically win the league.

Last week’s El Clasico was the major step that created the required gap between Barcelona and their arch-rivals Real Madrid.

Despite Los Blancos winning their game against Mallorca, Barcelona’s win takes them seven points clear of the second-placed team, something that cannot be overcome in the remaining two games.

The win was poetic in many ways, especially considering that the last time Barcelona won the league, it happened to be at the same venue against the same opposition.

With the league title in the bag finally, the celebrations will run long into the week. The team did not celebrate at Cornella given the events of two years ago but will look to lavishly celebrate the achievement in their next home game.

More importantly, it marks the end of Barcelona’s hunt for trophies this season which has finally culminated in a domestic treble.