Espanyol 0–2 Barcelona: Player Ratings as Yamal Shines, Barça Clinch La Liga Title

The second Catalan derby of the season unfolded at the RCDE Stadium on Thursday night in a match packed with high stakes for both sides. For Barcelona, victory would seal the La Liga title, while Espanyol needed three points to avoid relegation.

Manager Hansi Flick named a strong starting XI, with only Inigo Martinez unavailable due to suspension. Pau Cubarsi and Alejandro Balde were rested.

Espanyol impressed in the first half, dominating possession and creating more chances. But Barcelona flipped the script after the break. A moment of brilliance from Lamine Yamal gave Barça the lead, and they never looked back. A late goal from Fermin Lopez sealed the win — and the championship.

Here are the player ratings from Espanyol 0–2 Barcelona:
Player Ratings

Wojciech Szczesny – 8.5
A commanding display from the Polish goalkeeper. Denied Espanyol with a huge one-on-one save early on and made a key intervention outside the box to stop another chance. His sweeping ability continues to improve, and he was critical in maintaining the clean sheet.

Gerard Martin – 6.5
Solid defensively in the opening half but offered little going forward. Subbed off at halftime for Balde to add attacking width and speed on the left.

Andreas Christensen – 8.5
Returning from injury, Christensen looked composed and decisive. Made excellent choices under pressure and distributed the ball confidently. An assured performance in his first start of the season.

Ronald Araujo – 7
Struggled to maintain composure compared to his centre-back partner. Looked vulnerable during Espanyol’s quick breaks, often relying on pace to recover. A physically dominant but slightly erratic showing.

Eric Garcia – 7.5
Performed admirably at right-back. Balanced forward runs with strong defensive positioning. Linked well with Yamal and made a crucial block in the 60th minute to deny a clear scoring chance.

Pedri – 8.5
One of the few Barcelona players to look confident under Espanyol’s first-half press. His movement and passing helped Barça transition into attack. Orchestrated multiple attacks and was pivotal in midfield.

Frenkie de Jong – 8
Solid in possession but slightly troubled by Espanyol’s aggressive press. Though calm and composed, he occasionally lost the ball in key areas. Helped control the midfield during the second half.

Dani Olmo – 6
Below par. Struggled to find rhythm and was ineffective in tight spaces. Some moments of link-up with Yamal, but overall lacked influence in the final third.

Lamine Yamal – 9
The 17-year-old delivered when it mattered most. Silenced Espanyol’s press with a thunderous strike into the top corner to open the scoring. After a quiet first half, he came alive and changed the game — a true title-winning performance.

Raphinha – 7.5
Was one of the few attacking threats in a sluggish first half. Made positive runs and looked to push forward but lacked end product. Still a hardworking and valuable outlet down the flank.

Robert Lewandowski – 7
Returned to the XI and came close with a well-taken effort in the first half. Worked hard to find space despite Espanyol’s tight marking but didn’t get enough service to be fully effective.

Substitutes

Alejandro Balde – 7
Injected energy and width after replacing Martin at halftime. Contributed to increased attacking tempo.

Fermin Lopez – 7.5
Made a late cameo and sealed the win with a beautifully taken second goal. This time, the goal stood—unlike his disallowed strike in El Clasico.

Final Thoughts
Barcelona were far from their best in the opening half but showed their quality after the break. The title-winning performance was capped by moments of brilliance from Yamal and Fermin, while Christensen, Pedri, and Szczesny held things together.