December 31, (THEWILL) –Â Barcelona was held to a 1-1 draw in a chaotic match against Espanyol on Saturday at Camp Nou.
Marcos Alonso opened the scoring for the home side in the early stages, but Joselu equalised with a penalty in the second half. Despite their dominance in possession, Barcelona struggled to create clear chances and was left frustrated by their slow play in the final third.
The match was marred by numerous cards, as both Alba and Souza were sent off for Barcelona and Espanyol, respectively, while Leandro Cabrera was shown a red card for a stamp on Robert Lewandowski, only for the decision to be overturned by VAR.
The draw leaves Barcelona in joint first place in La Liga’s standings heading into the final stretch of the season with arch-rivals Real Madrid on the same 38 points after matchday 13.
Next week, both teams will compete in the Copa del Rey, with Barcelona taking on Intercity on Wednesday and Espanyol playing Celta Vigo on Thursday. Four days later, the Blaugrana will play Atletico Madrid in La Liga.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
