FC Barcelona 2-0 Espanyol: 5 Talking Points

#4 Espanyol gave in too easily

Busquets (R) in a tussle for possession with Espanyol's Gerard Moreno

Having already pulled off an unexpected result at home with a slender 1-0 win, all Espanyol had to do was to either defend it or get an away goal to fan the pressure. Quique Sanchez’s men could do neither, but they appeared to not even make an effort in first place.

Sloppy at the back, the defence was in no man’s land as Suarez gleefully headed home to open the account whereas the deflection to Messi’s effort was a sign of bad luck. The centre-back pairing of Hermoso and Naldo even ended picking a card each for the fouls committed.

The Blanquiazules were just as abject in the attack too, mustering only four shots of which two were on goal, but dealt with relative ease.

The cohesive unit of last time was so much in sixes and sevens this time around as Barcelona threw the kitchen sink at them and Espanyol were meekly mowed down by it.

What was truly disheartening, though, was the referee denying them a legitimate penalty towards the dying embers, which otherwise, may, just may have scripted a different story.