LaLiga: Barcelona Blow Hot with 4-1 Win Over Espanyol

Barca cruise to win over Espanyol

LaLiga leaders Barcelona extended their lead at the top of the table with a commanding 4-1 victory over Espanyol, as Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal starred in the Catalan derby.

Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal star as leaders extend LaLiga lead...

Barcelona thought they were 3-0 up, but Ferran Torres' potential hat-trick goal was ruled out due to Eric Garcia's offside. However, Espanyol quickly capitalized on the chance, with Pol Lozano scoring a stunning right-footed goal, leaving Joan Garcia no chance.

Espanyol's goal sparked some life into their game, and they had Barca on the back foot for a while. But Marcus Rashford blew a sitter, passing up an easy chance to extend Barca's lead.

Barca regrouped and Lamine Yamal sealed the deal, beating Dmitrovic to a through ball and finishing into an empty net.

Espanyol were just trying to survive at that point, but Marcus Rashford added a fourth for Barca, putting some gloss on the scoreline.

The result leaves Espanyol winless in 14 LaLiga games (D5, L9), while Barca extended their dominance over their local rivals, with a 30-game head-to-head record of W23, D7.

Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal were the stars as Barca crushed Espanyol 4-1, extending their lead at the top of LaLiga to nine points. Real Madrid's surprise draw with Girona on Friday paved the way for Barca's big win.

Espanyol had a tough task from the start, with Barca dominating possession and creating chances early on. The hosts had hardly given Espanyol a touch in the first 10 minutes, setting the tone for the Catalan derby.

Espanyol's task was made tougher when Ferran Torres headed home Lamine Yamal's corner, scoring his first LaLiga goal since January 31.

Barca's dominance was evident, with possession hitting 85% at one point, but their comfort in control ultimately led to a lapse in concentration.

Barca's advantage grew when Ferran Torres scored his first LaLiga goal since January 31, heading home Lamine Yamal's corner at the back post.

The hosts were so dominant, with possession hitting 85% at one point, that it was only a matter of time before they scored again. And they did, with Lamine Yamal's clever pass finding Torres, who scored with a deft touch. Espanyol's keeper Marko Dmitrovic made a great double save to keep it 2-0 at half-time.

Thankfully for Barca, that didn’t lead to the equaliser and, in fact, after 25 minutes, Lamine’s delicious outside-of-the-foot pass found Torres centrally, and the striker’s deft touch saw the ball roll into the net past an on-rushing Marko Dmitrovic.

EL DERBI ÉS BLAUGRANA!!! 💙❤️ pic.twitter.com/3cK4Sx8MHc

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) April 11, 2026

The Serbian then pulled off a fantastic double save from Eric Garcia and Fermin Lopez, to keep the score respectable before Alejandro Jose Hernandez blew the whistle for half-time.

The match referee's frequent whistling in the second half disrupted the game's flow, and Espanyol struggled to create any attacking opportunities, with Cyril Ngonge getting easily bullied off the ball. Meanwhile, Barca thought they had gone 3-0 up, but Ferran Torres' potential hat-trick goal was ruled out due to Eric Garcia being offside.