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Espanyol 2-4 Barcelona: Robert Lewandowski scores two as Barca wrap up title

Last updated on .From the section European Footballcomments278

Alejandro Balde celebrates scoring for Barcelona against Espanyol in La Liga
Barcelona have won 27 out of 34 games in La Liga this season

Barcelona sealed their first La Liga title since 2018-19 with four games to spare after a stylish win at the home of city rivals Espanyol.

Barca were 3-0 up by half-time, Robert Lewandowski scoring his 20th league goal of the season before Alejandro Balde, 19, doubled the lead.

Lewandowski added the third before Jules Kounde's header made it 4-0.

Espanyol did reduce the deficit through Javier Puado and Joselu but remain in trouble near the bottom of the table.

Barcelona have 85 points, 14 more than nearest rivals Real Madrid, with 12 points left to play for.

It is their first La Liga title since club legend Lionel Messi left in August 2021 and first since Xavi was appointed manager in November 2021.

Meanwhile, Espanyol are in danger of a second relegation in four seasons from La Liga after a ninth league defeat in 11 games.

They are four points from safety with four matches left.

Barcelona's players celebrate on the pitch after being crowned La Liga champions
Barcelona's players celebrated on the pitch after claiming their 27th La Liga championship

Xavi delivers in first full season

Barcelona's players will have to wait to get their hands on the trophy but they celebrated after the full-time whistle before making a hasty retreat to the dressing room after some Espanyol fans dashed on to the pitch.

Barca trailed Real Madrid by three points after losing 3-1 away to them on 16 October, while they made a disappointing exit from the Champions League after losing three of their six group games.

But Xavi, who won eight La Liga titles during a distinguished 17-year career playing in Barca's first team, has delivered in his first full season in charge.

It was a particularly emotional night for captain Sergio Busquets, who has confirmed he will leave Barcelona at the end of the season after 18 years at the club.

This is the 34-year-old's ninth league title with Barca but the future looks promising for the side, with Balde and Kounde scoring their first La Liga goals in Barcelona colours.

Barcelona will move out of their Nou Camp home next season while the stadium is redeveloped.

But fans will get a chance to celebrate the club's first major trophy since 2020-21 during their last two home games - against Real Sociedad on Saturday and Mallorca on 28 May.

Line-ups

Espanyol

Formation 5-3-2

  • 13Pacheco
  • 2Gil
  • 23Montes
  • 24Gómez SolàSubstituted forPuadoat 45'minutes
  • 4Cabrera
  • 14OlivánSubstituted forKoleoshoat 84'minutes
  • 21MelamedSubstituted forExpósito Jaénat 87'minutes
  • 10DarderBooked at 39mins
  • 6D SuárezSubstituted forCaleroat 45'minutes
  • 17BraithwaiteSubstituted forPedrosaat 55'minutes
  • 9Joselu

Substitutes

  • 3Pedrosa
  • 5Calero
  • 7Puado
  • 8Bare
  • 12de Souza Costa
  • 16Lazo
  • 18Pierre-Gabriel
  • 20Expósito Jaén
  • 22Vidal
  • 25Fernández Llorente
  • 30Koleosho
  • 34Fortuño Viñas

Barcelona

Formation 4-3-3

  • 1ter Stegen
  • 23KoundéBooked at 2mins
  • 4AraújoSubstituted forAlbaat 62'minutesBooked at 82mins
  • 15ChristensenSubstituted forAlonsoat 74'minutes
  • 28Balde
  • 8PedriSubstituted forKessiéat 89'minutes
  • 5Busquets
  • 21F de Jong
  • 22RaphinhaSubstituted forDembéléat 62'minutes
  • 9Lewandowski
  • 30GaviBooked at 39minsSubstituted forAnsu Fatiat 74'minutes

Substitutes

  • 7Dembélé
  • 10Ansu Fati
  • 11F Torres
  • 13Peña Sotorres
  • 17Alonso
  • 18Alba
  • 19Kessié
  • 20Roberto
  • 24García
  • 32Torre
  • 36Tenas
Referee:
Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea
Attendance:
27,360

Match Stats

Home TeamEspanyolAway TeamBarcelona
Possession
Home30%
Away70%
Shots
Home15
Away15
Shots on Target
Home7
Away5
Corners
Home4
Away3
Fouls
Home12
Away9

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Espanyol 2, Barcelona 4.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Espanyol 2, Barcelona 4.

  3. Goal!

    Goal! Espanyol 2, Barcelona 4. Joselu (Espanyol) left footed shot from very close range to the high centre of the goal following a corner.

  4. Post update

    Fernando Calero (Espanyol) hits the right post with a header from the centre of the box. Assisted by Adrià Pedrosa with a cross following a corner.

  5. Post update

    Corner, Espanyol. Conceded by Marcos Alonso.

  6. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Joselu (Espanyol) left footed shot from very close range is blocked. Assisted by Edu Expósito with a cross.

  7. Substitution

    Substitution, Barcelona. Franck Kessié replaces Pedri.

  8. Substitution

    Substitution, Espanyol. Edu Expósito replaces Nicolás Melamed.

  9. Post update

    Attempt missed. Nicolás Melamed (Espanyol) left footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Adrià Pedrosa with a cross.

  10. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Sergi Darder (Espanyol) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Nicolás Melamed.

  11. Substitution

    Substitution, Espanyol. Luka Koleosho replaces Brian Oliván.

  12. Post update

    Attempt missed. Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Sergio Busquets.

  13. Booking

    Jordi Alba (Barcelona) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  14. Post update

    Foul by Jordi Alba (Barcelona).

  15. Post update

    Nicolás Melamed (Espanyol) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  16. Post update

    Attempt missed. Javier Puado (Espanyol) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses the top right corner. Assisted by Sergi Darder.

  17. Post update

    Attempt missed. Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Frenkie de Jong with a through ball.

  18. Post update

    Attempt saved. Joselu (Espanyol) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Nicolás Melamed.

  19. Post update

    Offside, Barcelona. Sergio Busquets tries a through ball, but Ousmane Dembélé is caught offside.

  20. Post update

    Attempt saved. Joselu (Espanyol) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Adrià Pedrosa with a through ball.

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278 comments

  • Comment posted by RR, at 22:03 14 May 2023

    13 goals conceded in 34 games, that's very impressive

    • Reply posted by FarcelonaLiquidation, at 22:18 14 May 2023

      FarcelonaLiquidation replied:
      Having favours all season from the officials is unimpressive.

  • Comment posted by D1684531192446, at 22:02 14 May 2023

    Barcelona… a cheating FFP breaching juggernaut

  • Comment posted by Brass Eye, at 22:30 14 May 2023

    How on earth have Barcelona not been hauled up before the Spanish bankruptcy courts ?

    I want Barcelona's accountant to do my books, they work miracles.

    • Reply posted by FarcelonaLiquidation, at 22:34 14 May 2023

      FarcelonaLiquidation replied:
      Well, they sold a story of victimhood as part of their history, which gained them many sympathisers worldwide. This made them into an entity with a huge market, which in turn attracted the attention of investors who have lots of cash and need something inflation proof to do with it, thus providing FC Barcelona with a lot of funding in return for an equity share of the spoils of said market.

  • Comment posted by Spoggy Dog, at 22:59 14 May 2023

    Barca have pushed the FFP envelope beyond breaking point, perhaps even more than the horrible Real Madrid team of the last 10 years but most football fans would rather see them win La Liga than the detestable Madrid team. Lesser of two evils? Yup.

    • Reply posted by Justfacts, at 23:03 14 May 2023

      Justfacts replied:
      Non state owned will always be the lesser.

  • Comment posted by Justfacts, at 22:00 14 May 2023

    Great news! especially once it's at the expense of a state run club like Madrid, hopefully Xavi continues being successful.

    • Reply posted by FarcelonaLiquidation, at 22:22 14 May 2023

      FarcelonaLiquidation replied:
      Which members and offices of the Spanish state do you think are running Real Madrid?

      Why did Laporta - the politician - triple the payments to the VP of the referee's technical committee?

      Why did FC Barcelona pay 7.3 million to him?

  • Comment posted by amazonsucks, at 22:59 14 May 2023

    To the English fans moaning about the debt, have a look at the debts of your Premier League, it's over £4 billion, not really in a position to take the moral high ground are you?
    .

    • Reply posted by Spoggy Dog, at 23:02 14 May 2023

      Spoggy Dog replied:
      Arsenal and Liverpool have no debt. Man City who have their stadium and shirts sponsored at a price way beyond the market value of either are not in debt, well unless moral debt counts.

  • Comment posted by PaulRW, at 22:46 14 May 2023

    Espanyol looked uncomfortable for the first 20 minutes but did well in the 2nd half, even if Barca had relaxed a little. Hope they can escape relegation. Good to see anyone but Real Madrid win the title.

    • Reply posted by Y0U, at 22:48 14 May 2023

      Y0U replied:
      What part of Barcelona are you from, out of interest?

  • Comment posted by gunflash, at 22:17 14 May 2023

    Disgraceful behaviour by the espanyol fans or more appropriately thugs who invaded the pitch after the game and tried to get at the Barcelona players. Whatever games espanyol have left at home should be played behind closed doors as punishment.

    • Reply posted by boris a warning from history, at 22:21 14 May 2023

      boris a warning from history replied:
      The Espanyol ultras sang in Catalan . The soulless tourists and there mercenary players were baffled !

  • Comment posted by Simon13, at 23:08 14 May 2023

    The pitch invasion afterwards was mental. Espanyol will get major fines

    • Reply posted by Justfacts, at 23:35 14 May 2023

      Justfacts replied:
      Madrid will pay them.

  • Comment posted by Mish, at 23:05 14 May 2023

    It is just nice to break the La Liga stranglehold. Nice to see one of the other sides win for once.

    • Reply posted by Boris, at 23:13 14 May 2023

      Boris replied:
      Especially good to see Elche win against Atlético.
      (Nothing against Atlético, just that Elche's situation is sad, so at least a win against a top club may cheer their fans up a bit.)

  • Comment posted by Natalie, at 22:23 14 May 2023

    Xavi doing what Lampard and Gerrard can only dream of, winning the league not only as a player but as a manager too. Well done Barcelona.

    • Reply posted by SpursyBoy, at 22:26 14 May 2023

      SpursyBoy replied:
      Whilst those behind the scenes cook the books and spend millions to make a title winning team. Yeh, Xavi's a genius.

  • Comment posted by D1696017996680, at 21:56 14 May 2023

    ....And Lewandowski bagged a brace.
    What a game.

  • Comment posted by ClarkeGriffinandThe100 , at 23:42 14 May 2023

    How embarrassing for Ath Madrid losing at Elche.

  • Comment posted by problem child, at 22:08 14 May 2023

    Well done Barcelona! deserved victory for them.

  • Comment posted by Depeche1966, at 22:07 14 May 2023

    Vamos Barca..

  • Comment posted by Ed Lice, at 21:58 14 May 2023

    Congrats Barca

  • Comment posted by michael5698, at 23:50 14 May 2023

    An odd season for Real Madrid who have looked imperious in the Champions League this season.

    • Reply posted by FarcelonaLiquidation, at 23:53 14 May 2023

      FarcelonaLiquidation replied:
      No, it's just standard. In the league, the games are rigged, which is why the worst Barcelona in many decades has hardly even conceded a goal.

  • Comment posted by D1684157345556, at 22:07 14 May 2023

    Well done Barc

    Lewandowski now that's what I call a proven striker ahem

    • Reply posted by SpursyBoy, at 22:23 14 May 2023

      SpursyBoy replied:
      In Germany's 1 team League and Spain's 2 team League.

  • Comment posted by Catalan Dragon, at 07:04 15 May 2023

    Yay!
    League won with four matches to spare, not bad for a team in transition, also great to see young home grown talent on the pitch. Enjoy!
    Visca el Barça i visca Catalunya!

    • Reply posted by FarcelonaLiquidation, at 16:31 15 May 2023

      FarcelonaLiquidation replied:
      I see you've updated to using visca like I told you to. Glad to help.

  • Comment posted by Goats-R-Us, at 23:34 14 May 2023

    This result vindicates the economic levers I suppose? Or maybe things were never all that bad for Barcelona anyway since they play in a two team league.

    • Reply posted by Justfacts, at 23:45 14 May 2023

      Justfacts replied:
      Weee athletico won it 2 seasons ago. Ok

Scores, Results & Fixtures

Sunday 14th May 2023

As It Stood

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Barcelona34274364135185
2Real Madrid34225770323871
3Atl Madrid34216760273369
4Real Sociedad34188845311462
5Villarreal341761152351757
6Real Betis33157114037352
7Girona34139125448648
8Ath Bilbao34138134438647
9Osasuna34138133236-447
10Sevilla34138134449-547
11Rayo Vallecano331210114042-246
12Mallorca34128143337-444
13Celta Vigo34109153948-939
14Valencia34107173841-337
15Almería34106184361-1836
16Cádiz34811152650-2435
17Real Valladolid34105193060-3035
18Getafe34810163043-1334
19Espanyol34710174260-1831
20Elche3447232664-3819
View full Spanish La Liga table

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