Barcelona Go Nine Points Clear as Yamal Inspires 4-1 Derby Win Over Espanyol

FC Barcelona moved a step closer to defending their La Liga crown with a convincing 4-1 derby victory over RCD Espanyol, powered by a brilliant display from Lamine Yamal.

The 18-year-old winger scored once and assisted twice, while Ferran Torres bagged a brace and Marcus Rashford added a late fourth.

The result puts Barca nine points ahead of Real Madrid, who were held to a 1-1 draw by Girona FC, with seven games left to play.

With a high-stakes Champions League tie against Atlético Madrid looming, coach Hansi Flick opted against heavy rotation, keeping key players like Pedri and Yamal on the pitch throughout.

Torres opened the scoring twice with assists from Yamal, whose creativity proved decisive.

“Until we win it, it’s not over but it’s true, it’s in our hands — we have to keep getting the three points,” Torres said.

“I always believe in hard work and that you will get your reward… I am always focussed on myself, on improving.”

Espanyol struggled to contain Barcelona but managed a brief response through Pol Lozano after the break.

“Small errors killed us a bit, we have to be proud of the work we did,” Lozano said.
“We’re getting better and sooner rather than later the victory will come.”

Barcelona regained full control late on, with Yamal scoring in the 87th minute before Rashford volleyed in from a cross by Frenkie de Jong, marking his return from injury.

The dominant win keeps Barcelona firmly on course for the title, with momentum building ahead of their crucial European clash.

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