Lamine takes a jab at city rivals after Catalan derby win edges Barcelona closer to the title
The Barça forward was on target in the 4-1 win which puts Hansi Flick’s men nine points clear at the top of the table with El Clásico still to come.
Lamine Yamal always brings extra fire to the Catalan derby — and Saturday’s was no exception. Barça’s No. 10 put on a show, setting up Ferran Torres for the first two goals and scoring the third himself. Marcus Rashford later sealed the 4–1 win, though the match ended with tempers flaring between players from both sides.
“They tried to mess with us a bit because they won, that’s all. When you lose, you just have to take it. It’s always the same, whatever,” Espanyol midfielder Pol Lozano told DAZN after the final whistle, declining to go into more detail about the confrontation.
Lamine Yamal fires back on social media
The derby heat didn’t cool off once the teams left the field. On social media, Yamal celebrated the victory with a pointed jab at Espanyol:“Barcelona belongs to us. Time to swallow it, like always.”
It was a clear message to Barça’s local rival — a team he has never lost to as a professional (four wins, with two goals and four assists). His post drew support on Instagram from Marc Bernal, Fermín, Rashford, Héctor Fort, Gavi (“Always, brother”), Marc Casadó (“wow”), and even the club itself (“The derby is blaugrana”).
A rivalry that runs deep
During the postgame celebration with Barça’s supporters’ section, Yamal was among the most fired up, alongside Fermín, Casadó, and Gavi. The homegrown players — who grew up immersed in the city’s fiercest rivalry — joined in chants mocking Espanyol, including references to the club’s move from the old Sarrià stadium and its relegation to the second division.
Barcelona pulls away; Espanyol’s slump drags on
The 4–1 win meant far more than three points. Barcelona widened its lead over Real Madrid — who stumbled at home against Girona (1–1) — pushing the gap to nine points with seven matches left. It’s a major confidence boost heading into Tuesday’s Champions League showdown, in which Barça trail Atlético Madrid 2–0 from last week’s first leg.
For Espanyol, the derby brought only frustration. The club’s winless streak in 2026 stretched to 14 league matches. Its last victory came back on December 22, 2025, against Athletic Club in Bilbao. Since then, Espanyol has earned just five of a possible 42 points, putting its hopes of returning to European competition in jeopardy and forcing the team to focus on securing safety as soon as possible.
Despite the brutal run, Espanyol still sits 10th in the table with 38 points.
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