Barcelona Vs Espanol

Barcelona vs. Espanyol porlayer ratings: La Liga leaders enjoy derby bliss as Dani Olmo at the double and Lamine Yamal again fails to score

Barcelona had a clear goal heading into October: to win six of their six games before the next international break. So far, their strategy has been working. They defeated Espanyol last night in a game that was far from obvious after destroying Sevilla, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid in their first three games back.

After all, the Catalan derby is usually fierce, and it has become much more so in recent years as players have been sent off for fun. On that aspect, last night's matchup was simpler. Raphinha set up Marc Casado's delivery to make it 2-0 before the 25th minute, after Dani Olmo had started the score with a beautiful assist from Lamine Yamal. Just after the half, Olmo scored his second goal of the evening, ending the match before the halftime siren blew.

In the summer, Barcelona made the controversial decision to recruit Dani Olmo after Nico Williams' operation failed. Some claimed it was a waste of Barcelona's limited financial resources, while others thought the young player's La Masia experience would make him a vital addition to the team's final third. Still, no one saw the effect he had, and it's safe to say that Deco and Joan Laporta made a wise decision.

Once again, Olmo was outstanding for the club, and few players in the world of football can match the aura he exudes while in control. In Hansi Flick's system, he was once again a living, breathing cheat code who created opportunities with each touch. His sprints between the lines caused chaos in the Espanyol defense, and he had an incredible connection with Lamine Yamal and Pedri in particular. 

After just twelve minutes, Olmo's exquisite touch opened the score, and he finished with a shot from outside the box to complete his brace. Despite the fierce rivalry in the midfield, he is without a doubt one of the first names on Barcelona's squad sheet when healthy.

Barcelona dominated the first half, but the manager was not pleased with what transpired after the interval. It makes sense that Flick made changes to rotate the midfield after the Catalans emerged as the superior team in the first half of the second session. Marc Casado and Fermin Lopez were replaced by Frenkie de Jong and Fermin Lopez, respectively.

A stretch of play with both teams producing opportunities ensued, with Espanyol having the better of the two. After the interval, the visitors really had three chances to score, one of which was a legitimate goal. The double pivot involving De Jong and Pedri was fundamentally flawed, and he appeared to be a shell of the player he was against Real Madrid. This underscored Casado's significance to the club.