Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski had been the heroes for Barcelona as they prevailed 2-0 within the Catalan derby at Espanyol.
Espanyol had gained their final 5 LaLiga matches previous to the winter break, which Barca approached with a four-point lead over Actual Madrid on the top of the table.
The house aspect’s kind and the return of Joan Garcia to the membership he left for Barcelona in the summertime made for a fierce ambiance on the Cornella El-Prat.
It was the superb efficiency of Garcia that prevented Espanyol from taking the lead as that they had the higher of the sport for lengthy intervals.
And Espanyol had been punished for failing to get the higher of Garcia, Olmo bending house a elegant 86th-minute strike into the top-right nook.
Lewandowski then made the factors secure, turning house a deflected effort within the ninetieth minute after glorious work on the break from Fermin Lopez.
Garcia comes again to hang-out Espanyol
Garcia made his first of a number of key saves within the twenty second minute when he thwarted Roberto Fernández after the Espanyol striker had been despatched by means of on objective by Edu Exposito.
Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres went shut in response for Barca, however they had been grateful to Garcia once more as he produced an excellent fingertip save to tip a Fernandez header onto the crossbar.
Marko Dmitrovic displayed his reactions to disclaim Jules Kounde on the again put up 10 minutes into the second half, but it was Garcia who continued to be by far the busier goalkeeper and he produced heroics to forestall Fernandez from rounding him and tapping Espanyol into the lead.
Barcelona late present wins it
There was extra frustration for Fernandez when he lastly beat Garcia, solely to see Kounde clear off the road, earlier than Dmitrovic got here to the rescue to forestall Eric Garcia from giving Barca the benefit.
Garcia was at full stretch once more as he turned a Carlos Romero behind, and his unbelievable efforts had been rewarded when Olmo marked his return from damage in type.
That gorgeous strike knocked the wind out of Espanyol’s sails, and the sport was up 4 minutes later when Lewandowski piled on the ache for the hosts, sending Barca seven away from Actual Madrid forward of their assembly with Actual Betis on Sunday.
