Barca's Stunning Comeback Seals Derby Dominance: La Liga Title Within Reach

Barcelona made a huge statement in their pursuit of the La Liga title with an impressive 3-1 victory over their local rivals Espanyol. The Catalan giants extended their lead at the top of the table to nine points, thanks in large part to Dani Olmo's inspiring performance on the pitch. Olmo bagged a crucial brace to give Hansi Flick's men a commanding lead, ensuring that Barca's winning momentum continues.

The hotly-anticipated derby match was witnessing Barca in full swing as they scored two quick goals via a skilled display from Olmo - netting home. Another score would then be tacked onto their list as, home player Raphinha added more to the record of Barca when he chalked a target against a powerless side of Espanyol which saw them take an imposing 3-0 lead over the struggling Espanyol squad before the break.

The goal deficit took its toll on Espanyol when it looked as if their prospects of emerging with at least a spot of pride in front of the passionate audience at home was rapidly evaporating from their grasp. The crowd, sensing defeat was drawing near, then chose to raise the voices of their encouragement for the team battered by these goals and so the score that favored the home team stood at 3-0 till break.

As play resumed for the second half, the atmosphere was ripe for a possible turn around, however difficult such seemed. Javi Puado offered a glimmer of hope for his Espanyol team as he broke through the Barcelona defense and found the net, scoring his team's only goal. Yet their success remained short-lived. Barca's solid grip on the game proved difficult to break as the continued efforts by Puado's one-man team could not match the combined efforts of their more skilled opponents and as such their capacity to push further narrowed to nothing as no other added goal came to seal any final deal for Espanyol.

The final whistle would see Barca claim the three points they truly desired all night. Indeed, the ultimate score-line indicated a level of superiority to a match which looked all set to tilt the way of the Catalan club from the opening kick, and ultimately, their winning momentum ensured La Liga's first place a little more secure with every crucial win under their belt. Barca looks like they are gliding through La Liga after making six consecutive wins across all competitions and a lot needs to go wrong for them not to win the La Liga title, with their nine-point gap being too wide of a gap to bridge.