FC Barcelona have been officially proclaimed champions of La Liga 2024-25 with two games still to play, after beating Espanyol 2-0 in an intense Barcelona derby played on Thursday at the RCDE Stadium in Cornellà. In a match marked by physical intensity and resistance from the Perico side, goals from Lamine Yamal and Fermín López secured the three points needed for Barça to mathematically seal their 28th league title.
Part One
The start of the match was difficult for Barça, who came close to conceding in the first 15 minutes. Urko González missed a clear chance by sending his shot wide, and shortly after Javi Puado came up against a great intervention by Wojciech Szczesny in a one-on-one.
During the early stages, the azulgrana team showed inaccuracies in midfield and difficulties to press without the ball. Espanyol repeatedly found space behind Barça's advanced defense, generating constant danger.
As the minutes passed, Hansi Flick's team began to settle down. They improved their circulation and positioning, achieving greater control of the game. Pedri and Robert Lewandowski tried with dangerous shots that went narrowly wide, although Barça failed to generate a clear scoring chance in the entire first half.
The break came with Barça still alive, but far from their best and in need of some fine-tuning in attack.
Part Two
Flick made a key change after the break, bringing on Alejandro Balde for Gerard Martin to reinforce the left side of the attack, which was virtually non-existent in the first half. The change had an immediate effect, as Balde's threat forced the Espanyol defense to retreat, freeing up space for Lamine Yamal on the right flank.
The young prodigy was quick to take advantage of the situation: just eight minutes after the restart, Yamal received on the flank, cut back towards the center and, with his left foot, placed a masterful shot into the top corner to put Barça 1-0 ahead.
However, the team was unable to fully capitalize on the momentum of the goal and Espanyol reacted with intensity. They increased the pressure and again exploited the spaces behind the defense, generating several dangerous situations. Szczesny and the defense kept order to preserve the lead.
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The Clock Runs
In the last 10 minutes, when the game was still open, an unusual event favored Barça: Leandro Cabrera was sent off after a VAR review, which confirmed a fist attack on Yamal. The red card left Espanyol with ten players and further complicated their aspirations to level the score.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, Espanyol did not give up. They bravely searched for an equalizer to prevent their eternal rivals from celebrating the title at their stadium, but Barça knew how to manage the final stretch. In stoppage time, Fermín López put the game to bed with a stunning strike from the edge of the area to make it 2-0.
The final whistle officially confirmed the championship for Barça. Although there was tension afterwards, with some frustrated home fans, there were no serious incidents and the Barça players quickly retreated to the dressing room to celebrate.
It was not the best version of the team, but they achieved their goal. With this victory, FC Barcelona has won its 28th league title, crowning a season of struggle and determination.
