Barcelona Player Ratings vs. Espanyol: Derby Win All But Clinches La Liga Title

A 29th La Liga title could be added to Barcelona’s trophy cabinet sooner rather than later.

Ferran Torres (middle) was the hero on derby day. | Javier Borrego/Europa Press/Getty Images

A Ferran Torres brace led the way for Barcelona to defeat Espanyol 4–1 in the Catalan derby on Saturday at Camp Nou.

It was all Barcelona in the first half as Hansi Flick’s side decidedly dominated their city rivals. Ferran put the hosts ahead with a header from a corner before completing his brace when he simply redirected a beautiful trivela pass from Lamine Yamal, doubling Barça’s lead before the break.

Espanyol didn’t go away quietly, though, and Pol Lozano thumped the visitors back into the game. Nervy minutes ensued for Barça until Yamal restored the two-goal advantage in the dying minutes and then Marcus Rashford added the cherry on top with a nice volley.

The victory sees Barcelona go nine points clear of Real Madrid in the summit of La Liga with only seven games remaining, getting within touching distance of consecutive league titles.

Still, a much better performance will be needed if Barça want to overcome a two-goal deficit away against Atlético Madrid in the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals on Tuesday.

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The One Thing We Can’t Ignore

Gerard Martín raised the alarms on Saturday. | Omar Arnau/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for Barcelona in their dominant Catalan derby win. Gerard Martín didn’t come back out for the second half after suffering an apparent injury, raising the alarms ahead of the second leg vs. Atlético Madrid.

The converted center back has performed admirably all season in the heart of defense and his durability has been a tremendous asset for Flick. But the young defender appeared to awkwardly get stuck on the ground late in the first half and had to receive medical attention with a non-contact injury.

Martín was able to stay on the pitch for the final five minutes of the first half—albeit noticeably limping—but Marc Casadó replaced him after the break, casting uncertainty over his availability for Tuesday’s Champions League clash.

Pau Cubarsí is suspended for the second leg after getting sent off on Wednesday. If Martín isn’t good to go then Flick will be extremely short of defensive options for the all-important clash. Eric García and Ronald Araújo would be the likely center back pairing at the Metropolitano, a duo that’s started together in the heart of defense just once since the start of 2026.

Barcelona already had a mountain to climb to avoid another premature Champions League elimination, but if they have to deploy a completely makeshift center back partnership in the second leg, the degree of difficulty increases considerably.

All eyes will be on Martín’s fitness status in the coming hours and days.

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Barcelona Player Ratings vs. Espanyol (4-2-3-1)

Lamine Yamal was remarkable once again. | Josep Lago/AFP/Getty Images

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Joan García—6.9: Nothing he could do to stop Lozano’s strike. Was calm, fearless and accurate in his distribution.

RB: Ronald Araújo—7.6: Solid defensive performance from the Uruguayan, but his lack of presence going forward isolated Yamal, forcing the teenager to drop deep to receive the ball if he wanted to have some space to operate.

CB: Pau Cubarsí—7.1: Another shaky afternoon from the teenager, who once again failed to inspire any confidence and was routinely beaten over the top.

CB: Gerard Martín—6.9: Had been rarely tested all match until he suffered an apparent injury and was forced to exit the pitch at half time, prompting serious concerns over his availability for the second leg vs. Atlético Madrid.

LB: Alejandro Balde—6.5: Looked rusty in his first start since February, especially in attack, where his deliveries left plenty to be desired.

DM: Eric García—7.5: A quiet afternoon for García, anchoring Barcelona’s midfield and allowing the players ahead of him to freely exchange positions and operate fluidly while he stabilized the team.

DM: Pedri—8.0: Misplaced routine passes and let his first touch get away from him a number of times. Erratic performance from Pedri, yet he did improve in the second half.

RW: Lamine Yamal—9.3: Yamal is in an absolute state of grace right now. Even if he wasn’t as involved—mainly due to Araújo’s positioning—he still managed to collect two assists and scored the dagger.

AM: Fermín López—7.8: Maneuvered between the lines with tremendous quality and plenty of poise. He offered a bright spark in attack but was a little too trigger-happy at times.

LW: Gavi—7.3: In his first start of the season, Gavi’s fighting spirit was on full display, even if he lacked clarity in the final third. Still, without Raphinha, he took charge of leading Barça’s high press, forcing a number of turnovers.

ST: Ferran Torres—9.1: Scored a brilliant brace to emphatically put an end to a dreadful slump and was otherwise very good linking up with other attackers. A confident and promising showing from the Spaniard.

SUB: Marc Casadó (46’ for Martín)—6.4: Couldn’t offer the same balance in midfield García produced in the first half, contributing to Espanyol’s second half improvement.

SUB: João Cancelo (64’ for Balde)—7.0: Nearly scored a brilliant solo goal seconds into his cameo and was stout defensively minus a dangerous turnover.

SUB: Marcus Rashford (64’ for Gavi)—7.3: Missed a big chance due to his hesitant nature but later redeemed himself with a fantastic volley.

SUB: Dani Olmo (74’ for Ferran)—6.3: Wasn’t able to make his presence felt during his brief cameo.

SUB: Frenkie de Jong (83’ for Fermín)—N/A: Announced his return from injury with an assist.

Subs not used: Diego Kochen (GK), Wojciech Szczęsny (GK), Álvaro Cortés, Jules Koundé, Xavi Espart, Roony Bardghji, Robert Lewandowski.

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What the Ratings Tell Us

Ferran Torres is back among the goals. | Pedro Salado/Getty Images

• Ferran Torres entered the game without a goal since Jan. 31, immersed in a 13-game slump—15 if you include the national team. Under increasing pressure, Ferran scored a brace and was arguably the best player on the pitch. The Spaniard looked back to his confident best and it couldn’t have come at a better time for Barça, needing to deliver an almost perfect attacking performance to keep their Champions League season alive on Tuesday.
• Alejandro Balde’s return to action is undeniably positive news for Barcelona, but the La Masia graduate looks rusty and even before his hamstring injury, he had failed to impress for long stretches this season. At this point in time, there’s no question João Cancelo should be the starting left back moving forward.
• Amid all the injury concerns, Frenkie de Jong’s return was a welcome sight. The Dutchman immediately made an impact with an assist for Barça’s fourth and if he’s ready to start against Atlético, he could play a vital role in the comeback attempt.

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The Numbers That Explain Barcelona’s Comfortable Derby Win

Marcus Rashford (bottom) scored for a second straight La Liga match. | Pedro Salado/Getty Images

• Barcelona had 10 shots on goal to Espanyol’s two, highlighting how lopsided the attacking threat was all match.
• The visitors tried to contain Barcelona through interrupting play, leading to 18 fouls from the visitors. Still, the hosts managed to produce an xG of 2.81.
• Flick’s side monopolized the ball from the start, winning the battle with 77% possession and completing 673 passes to Espanyol’s 148.

Statistic	Barcelona	Espanyol
Possession	77%	23%
Expected Goals (xG)	2.81	1.17
Total Shots	20	10
Shots on Target	10	2
Big Chances	4	1
Passing Accuracy	92%	74%
Fouls Committed	10	18
Corners	7	5

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