Derby Barcelona VS RCD Espanyol

 FC metropolis are overwhelmed for the primary time ever at the RCDE bowl, associated their unconquered run of twenty nine games has conjointly been delivered to an finish, when Espanyol sprung a late shocker to grab a 1-0 win in Wednesday’s Copa del Rey initial leg.

It was definitely a reverse to suffer the primary defeat in 154 days, and even additional thus at the house of their native rivals, however Ernesto Valverde will take consolidation from the very fact that it had been by no means thatthe result that his facet merited, and that they have another ninety minutes at the Camp Nou next weekday during which to create amends.

Barça may also cheer from Rafinha forthcoming as a 77th minute substitute for his initial competitive outing since obtaining gashed against metropolis 9 months earlier.

First half stalemate
The game commenced with all the everyday intensity of this illustrious competition. obviously, Barça were enjoying the overwhelming majority of the possession, whereas Espanyol’s approach may usually be best delineated as ‘physical’.

Almost all the action within the initial forty five minutes was within blue-and-white territory, however the house facetmanaged to limit the blaugrana to very little over [*fr1] probabilities and a doable penalty claim.

Indeed, it sounded like the parakeets’ main priority was preventing Barça from obtaining associate away goal, ith the odd timid decide to sneak a goal of their own on the counter attack.

It was game in desperate want of a goal to open things up, and moments before the break Denis Suárez came the nighest nonetheless to giving North American nation one, however his effort didn't hit the mark.

Penalty woe
The last half began by following a similar script, with Barça slowly attempting to subsume the Espanyol defence in an exceedingly mostly placid encounter.

But the hour mark created the incident that modified the momentum of the sport. Esteban Granero trod on Sergi Roberto, the referee pointed straight at the spot, and Leo Messi stepped up to require the penalty.

The Argentinian stricken the ball well, however goalkeeper Diego Lopez regular an ideal dive to nudge it away. the house fans, UN agency had ferociously protested the penalty call, celebrated as if their facet had simply scored a goal.

Late shock
The incident conjointly breathed new life into Espanyol. it had been not a case of unidirectional traffic, and opaque gem Cillessen was obtaining referred to as additional and additional into the action.

Their confidence grew associated grew and with 3 minutes on the clock Óscar Melendo was on the tip of a brandyNavarro assist and Espanyol had taken an sudden lead.