FC Barcelona continued their impressive run in La Liga with yet another 3-1 win over Espanyol in the Catalan derby in La Liga. A brace from Dani Olmo and a goal from Raphinha was enough for the Catalan club to get past their local rivals.
Hansi Flick’s men have now extended their lead in La Liga to nine points at the top, with Real Madrid’s game at Valencia being postponed this weekend. The German coach’s tactical setup seems to be working wonders at the Catalan club.
Barcelona looked at their scintillating best in the first half against Espanyol but rather surprisingly took their foot off the pedal in the second, showing some mercy on a team where there is no love lost between the two clubs.
Ultimately, it is yet another three points for Hansi Flick’s Barcelona. Barca News Network takes a look at three talking points for the Catalan club from their 3-1 win over Espanyol in the Catalan derby.
1: Jekyll and Hyde performance
Jekyll and Hyde complex is a term used to describe someone who experiences frequent or drastic mood swings. It is safe to say that the Barcelona team last night had such a performance against Espanyol at the Montjuic.
The first half was top-notch for Hansi Flick’s team who hit the ground running and put Espanyol to the sword with three goals in quick time. It looked like Barcelona were set to run riot yet again, as they went into the half-time break.
However, in the second half, for arguably the first time under Hansi Flick, the team showed a tendency to be content with what they got out of the game. They sat back, circulated the ball, and did not show any urgency to add to the goal tally.
The German coach would surely not have been happy with what he saw from his team in the second half. Even though they controlled the game, this is not what one has grown to expect of them and Flick will undoubtedly have a say about the same.
2: Dani Olmo is a magician
Barcelona fans haven’t seen much of Dani Olmo so far this season but whenever he has played, the Spaniard has made a difference. Initially, the 26-year-old missed a couple of games through registration issues.
He then made his debut and played a few games with devastating impact before suffering an injury setback. Having come into the season without a pre-season, it was only natural that it took him time to build fitness.
Olmo has just made a return from the setback and after cameos against Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, he was given a start against Espanyol. It was an incredible first-half display from the magician, who netted two amazing goals to give Barcelona an unassailable lead.
That said, the 26-year-old will be the first one to admit that he became a bit selfish post his second goal, in search of his hattrick. He was hooked off after less than an hour and should get more game time going forward.
3: Ansu Fati deserves to start
Ansu Fati has been playing cameos off the bench for some time now, since his return from the injury and found the back of the net against Espanyol, only for the goal to be ruled out for an offside. However, it was yet another instance of his smart attacking runs.
Against Crvena Zvezda in the Champions League midweek, it will be a huge surprise if Ansu Fati doesn’t get a start ahead of Lamine Yamal or Raphinha. It is much needed for him to build his fitness and match sharpness back up.
The Spanish youngster might have lost a yard of pace but his brain seems to still be very much sharp. His cameos off the bench have shown that he can still be useful for the team, especially with his innate ability to find himself in good attacking positions.
Flick will surely be considering rotating one of his starters and this should bring Fati into the picture. Let’s wait and see how it plays out midweek and if Ansu Fati can take the chance, should it be afforded to him.
