La Liga: Battle of Barcelona Lives Up to Expectations as Blaugranas Held by City Rivals Espanyol

La Liga: Battle of Barcelona Lives Up to Expectations as Blaugranas Held by City Rivals Espanyol

Keba Mothoagae
updated at April 12, 2023 at 7:56 PM
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  • The Battle of Barcelona did not disappoint as Espanyol and CF Barcelona played out a monumental draw
  • Espanyol and Barcelona could not be separated in a match that ended 2-2, levelled by a last-gasp equaliser
  • The Blaugranas lost further ground on hated archenemy and current log leaders Real Madrid on the table

Pedri gave Barcelona a second minute lead but Sergi Darder levelled after 40 minutes and set up Raul de Tomas for a counter-attack goal after 64 minutes.

With time running out, Luuk de Jong headed an equaliser that saved a point for Barcelona, but they still end the weekend 15 points behind leaders Real Madrid.

la liga, barcelona, espanyol
Espanyol and Barcelona was a gripping city derby. Image source: @FCBarcelona/Twitter
Source: Twitter

As reported on supersport.com, Barcelona applied brisk pressure from the start and quickly gained a reward. Pedri leapt unmarked at the far post to meet a Jordi Alba cross and volley visiting Barca ahead.

The early domination gradually ebbed. Darder levelled for the home team with a curling right-foot shot after 40 minutes.

Barcelona became more desperate after Gavi's 56th minute strike was ruled out because a bemused Frenkie de Jong was offside as the ball caromed off him in the build up.

Eight minutes later, Espanyol hit their visitors with a beautifully executed counter attack.

Darder's long pass caught the Barcelona defence too far forward. De Tomas controlled the ball on his chest, ran on unchecked and drilled a shot past Marc-Andre Ter Stegen.

Both teams started added time down to 10 after Barcelona's Gerard Pique and Espanyol's Nicolas Melamed tangled in the 90th minute and collected their second yellow cards.

In the sixth minute of added time, Luuk de Jong, a 62nd minute replacement, leapt to meet a cross from Adama Traore and smash a header down and into the net.

Barcelona lost ground to third-place Real Betis who won 4-2 at-last place Levante earlier on Sunday.

Antonio Conte stunned as sensational Wolvehampton defeat Tottenham in their backyard

Tottenham dropped points yet again in the Premier League after impressive Wolves put up a sensational performance to win 2-0.

As reported on Sports Brief and against all odds, the Wanderers claimed all three points at the Tottenham Stadium to go above Spurs on the Premier League standings.

Victory takes Wolves to seventh position on the Premier League standings with 37 points, one above Tottenham who have 36.

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