Yamal excels as Barcelona dominates Espanyol, widening gap at top of La Liga table

During the Spanish league football match between FC Barcelona and RCD Espanyol at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on April 11, 2026, Barcelona’s Spanish forward #10 Lamine Yamal scored his team’s third goal, celebrating with teammates.

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Lamine Yamal's impressive performance, which included setting up two goals and scoring another, helped Barcelona take a significant step towards defending their La Liga title with a 4-1 derby win over Espanyol on Saturday, with Ferran Torres netting twice and Yamal and Marcus Rashford finding the net late on.

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The Catalans moved nine points clear of second-placed rivals Real Madrid, who drew 1-1 against Girona on Friday, giving Hansi Flick’s side a commanding lead with seven games remaining, including a Clasico at Camp Nou in May.

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Despite facing Atletico Madrid on Tuesday in the Champions League quarter-finals, aiming to fight back from a 2-0 first-leg defeat, coach Hansi Flick picked a strong side against Espanyol, with midfielder Pedri Gonzalez and 18-year-old winger Yamal playing the full match.

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Ferran Torres's goals were his first since January, and he expressed relief at helping Barca move closer to the title, stating "Until we win it, it’s not over but it’s true, it’s in our hands — we have to keep getting the three points."

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Espanyol, who had a strong start to the season, were beaten at home by Barca in the first game of 2026 and have failed to win a match since, offering little resistance as Hansi Flick’s side cruised into a two-goal lead.

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Lamine Yamal created both goals for Torres, whipping in a corner which the Spain international nodded home, and his assist for the second was sumptuous, playing Torres through with the outside of his boot.

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Tyrhys Dolan's chipped effort clipped the top of the crossbar, but Espanyol were mainly pinned back in their own territory, while Yamal curled a free-kick narrowly over the crossbar and Marko Dmitrovic made a good double save to keep Fermin Lopez and Eric Garcia at bay.

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Barcelona thought they had extended their lead early in the second half when Torres stabbed home Garcia’s goal-bound header, but it was ruled out for a tight offside against the defender, and Espanyol pulled one back through Pol Lozano immediately afterwards with a rasping effort.

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Pol Lozano stated "Small errors killed us a bit, we have to be proud of the work we did" and "We’re getting better and sooner rather than later the victory will come" after the game.

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Substitute Rashford could have got a third for Barca but lacked confidence, delaying his shot before firing straight at Dmitrovic, but he eventually found the net and will look to make further amends at the Metropolitano.

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Lamine Yamal notched the third in the 87th minute by charging down a loose ball, which rebounded beyond Dmitrovic, leaving him with a tap-in, and two minutes later Rashford hooked home the fourth with a volley from Frenkie de Jong’s cross.

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Frenkie de Jong, on as a substitute for his first appearance since suffering a hamstring injury in February, provided the cross for Rashford's goal, as Barca fans stayed in the stadium after the final whistle to celebrate with their team and try to inspire them ahead of the visit to face Atletico.

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Earlier on Saturday, Real Sociedad and Alaves shared an entertaining 3-3 draw, while Elche edged Valencia 1-0 to move out of the relegation zone, and Diego Simeone’s side were set to take on Sevilla later in the day.