Barcelona maintain their winning streak with a 1-0 win over Espanyol

Lewandowski's goal was the difference in a close-fought derby

Barcelona continue their relentless march towards the La Liga title with a hard-fought 1-0 win over city rivals Espanyol in a feisty Catalan derby at Spotify Camp Nou on Saturday night.

The only goal of the game came just before half-time when Robert Lewandowski pounced on a rebound to score his 15th goal in 19 appearances for Barcelona this season. Despite relentless pressure from the home side, Espanyol held firm in the second half to deny Barcelona a more comfortable victory.

The win sees Barcelona extend their unbeaten run to 16 games in all competitions and move 10 points clear of second-placed Real Madrid, who have a game in hand. Espanyol remain 12th in the table after suffering their sixth defeat in nine games.

A hard-fought derby

The match was played in a feisty atmosphere, with both sets of fans creating a deafening noise throughout the game. The first half was evenly matched, with both sides having chances to score. Lewandowski had the best chance of the half when he was played through on goal by Pedri, but he fired wide.

Espanyol came close to taking the lead just before half-time when Joselu's header was brilliantly saved by Marc-Andre ter Stegen. However, Barcelona took the lead moments later when Lewandowski pounced on a rebound after Ansu Fati's shot was saved by Alvaro Fernandez.

Barcelona dominate the second half

Barcelona came out with more purpose in the second half and dominated possession. They created several chances to extend their lead, but they were unable to find a way past Fernandez. Espanyol defended resolutely and had a couple of chances to equalise, but they were unable to find a way past ter Stegen.

In the end, Barcelona held on for a hard-fought 1-0 win. The win sees them extend their lead at the top of the table and move closer to winning their first La Liga title since 2019.