First Division - Day 18

Espanyol 0 - Barcelona 0

Espanyol: Pau López; Javi López, Alvaro González, Enzo Roco, Víctor Alvarez; Diop, Joan Jordán (Abraham 79’); Hernán Pérez, Marco Asensio, Burgui (Gerard Moreno 60’); Caicedo. 4-2-3-1.
Barcelona: Claudio Bravo; Dani Alves, Piqué, Mascherano, Jordi Alba; Rakitic (Sergi Roberto 71‘), Busquets, Iniesta; Messi, Luis Suárez, Neymar. 4-3-3.

Goals: None.

Yellow cards: Mascherano 22’, Alvaro 22’, Javi López 31’, Joan Jordán 42’, Víctor Alvarez 60’, Neymar 86’, Diop 88’, Piqué 92’.

Barcelona drop to second (albeit with a game in hand) after they could only draw 0-0 at city neighbours Espanyol in the first game of the new year. It was a physical match, particularly in the first half when there were clashes between the players, and chances were few and far between in what was a tense local derby. Piqué had to clear a corner off the goal-line midway through the first half, and Messi curled a free kick against the crossbar shortly before the break. After the restart Hernán Pérez fired an angled shot just wide, but otherwise the visitors had the better chances, Luis Suárez turning a shot against the upright, and Pau López having to save from Messi and Neymar. The home side held on for a valuable point though, and the fans and the new Chinese owners who were in the stands watching celebrated as if they had won the title. The two teams have to meet twice again in the cup over the next ten days though, and hopefully tempers will have calmed down by then.