Lamine Yamal played a pivotal role as Barcelona secured a 4-1 victory over Espanyol in the Catalan derby on Saturday, reinforcing their position at the top of La Liga. The 18-year-old winger provided two assists and scored a goal himself, while Ferran Torres contributed with a brace. Marcus Rashford also found the net late in the match, helping Barcelona extend their lead at the summit to nine points ahead of second-placed Real Madrid.

Real Madrid had drawn 1-1 with Girona on Friday, leaving Hansi Flick’s side in a commanding position with seven league matches left to play, including a crucial Clasico at Camp Nou in May. Despite Barcelona’s substantial lead, Flick emphasized the importance of maintaining focus and intensity. “Every game has to start with the right attitude and right mentality; with only quality, you will win nothing,” the coach said. “I’m positive we can win La Liga, but it’s not done.”

Barcelona fielded a strong lineup against Espanyol despite facing a challenging Champions League quarterfinal second leg against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday. Flick started both midfielder Pedri and Yamal for the full 90 minutes, prioritizing momentum in the league ahead of the European fixture.

The match saw Barcelona quickly take control, with Yamal instrumental in setting up Torres’s first goal from a corner and then assisting the striker again with a precise pass that left Espanyol goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic helpless. Although Espanyol made a few attempts to respond—most notably when Pol Lozano scored to reduce the deficit—the Catalan side dominated play for the majority of the match.

Espanyol’s Lozano acknowledged his team’s shortcomings following the defeat, noting that “small errors killed us,” but expressed optimism about future results. The home side had a chance early on when Tyrhys Dolan’s chipped shot narrowly missed the target, and Dmitrovic made several saves to deny Barcelona’s attackers, including attempts by Fermin Lopez and Eric Garcia.

Barcelona’s third goal came late in the match when Yamal capitalized on a loose ball to score, followed shortly by Rashford’s volley from a Frenkie de Jong cross. De Jong made his first appearance since a February hamstring injury, coming off the bench to provide the assist.

Barcelona supporters remained in the stadium after the final whistle, showing their support ahead of the upcoming Champions League clash. Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid, preparing for their own fixture, suffered a 2-1 defeat to Sevilla on Saturday despite rotating their squad to keep players fresh. Akor Adams scored a penalty for Sevilla, while young Atletico defender Javier Bonar briefly leveled before Nemanja Gudelj secured the win for the hosts.

With the league title race tightening and European ambitions still alive, Barcelona heads into a crucial week having delivered a statement performance in the Catalan derby.