New Barcelona manager Xavi celebrated his first game in charge at the Nou Camp with a slim derby victory over Espanyol in La Liga.
Although the home fans were able to claim bragging rights over their city rivals, the visitors could easily have won the game having wasted numerous chances in the second half.
Xavi eventually saw his side take the lead seconds after the restart through a Memphis Depay penalty.
The win puts Barca sixth in the table.
Xavi, who played 767 games and won 25 titles with the Catalan giants in his 17 years in the first team, had to wait two weeks to take the reins at the club he calls “home” due to the international break.
The Spaniard saw his side create an opening after 13 minutes after Jordi Alba’s low cross was met by 17-year-old debutant Ilias Akhomach but the teenager blasted his shot high and wide over the crossbar.
The hosts continued to apply pressure on Espanyol but attempts by Sergio Busquets, Depay and the impressive Gavi were either not taken or saved by goalkeeper Diego Lopez.
A breakthrough for Barca finally came when Leandro Cabrera brought down Depay on 46 minutes. The Netherlands forward sent Lopez the wrong way to put the home team in control.
However, Barca were unable to dominate in the same way they had done in the first half and as the clock tick towards full time, Espanyol suddenly tested their shaky defence.
Raul de Tomas, who was the away side’s best player, first watched a free-kick clip goalkeeper Marc Andre ter Stegen’s right-hand post before going behind, and then an unmarked header struck the same spot four minutes later.
Landry Dimata was also left in shock as he was given acres of space inside the Barca penalty area, only for his header to go well wide – much to the despair of manager Vicente Moreno.
Next up for new Barca boss Xavi is a vital Champions League group game against Benfica on Tuesday. The Catalan giants will secure their place in the knockout stages if they beat the Portuguese side at the Nou Camp.
Line-ups
Barcelona
Formation 4-3-3
- 1ter StegenBooked at 88mins
- 22MinguezaBooked at 64minsSubstituted forAraújoat 88′minutes
- 3Piqué
- 24García
- 18Alba
- 28González IglesiasSubstituted forDemirat 88′minutes
- 5BusquetsSubstituted forPuig Martíat 78′minutes
- 21de JongBooked at 83mins
- 37AkhomachSubstituted forEzzalzouliat 45′minutesBooked at 59mins
- 9Depay
- 30Paez GaviriaSubstituted forCoutinhoat 70′minutes
Substitutes
- 4Araújo
- 6Puig Martí
- 11Demir
- 13Murara Neto
- 14Coutinho
- 15Lenglet
- 17de Jong
- 20Roberto
- 23Umtiti
- 26Peña Sotorres
- 31Balde Martínez
- 33Ezzalzouli
Espanyol
Formation 4-1-4-1
- 13López
- 22Vidal
- 24Gómez
- 4CabreraBooked at 90mins
- 3PedrosaBooked at 59mins
- 15LópezSubstituted forMorlanes Ariñoat 56′minutes
- 23EmbarbaSubstituted forWuat 78′minutes
- 25HerreraSubstituted forDimataat 78′minutes
- 10DarderSubstituted forMorónat 90+5′minutes
- 9PuadoSubstituted forMelamedat 56′minutes
- 11de Tomás
Substitutes
- 2Llambrich
- 5Calero
- 6Morlanes Ariño
- 7Wu
- 8Mérida Pérez
- 14Melendo
- 16Morón
- 17Vilá
- 18Dimata
- 20Bare
- 21Melamed
- 34García
- Referee:
- Carlos del Cerro Grande
- Attendance:
- 74,418
Match Stats
Live Text
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Match ends, Barcelona 1, Espanyol 0.
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Second Half ends, Barcelona 1, Espanyol 0.
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Attempt missed. Sergi Gómez (Espanyol) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Nicolás Melamed with a cross following a corner.
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Corner, Espanyol. Conceded by Ronald Araújo.
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Substitution, Espanyol. Loren Morón replaces Sergi Darder.
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Foul by Ronald Araújo (Barcelona).
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Raúl de Tomás (Espanyol) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Abdessamad Ezzalzouli (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Leandro Cabrera (Espanyol).
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Leandro Cabrera (Espanyol) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Attempt blocked. Nicolás Melamed (Espanyol) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Adrià Pedrosa.
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Attempt saved. Memphis Depay (Barcelona) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Ronald Araújo.
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Marc-André ter Stegen (Barcelona) is shown the yellow card.
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Substitution, Barcelona. Ronald Araújo replaces Óscar Mingueza because of an injury.
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Substitution, Barcelona. Yusuf Demir replaces Nicolás González Iglesias because of an injury.
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Raúl de Tomás (Espanyol) hits the left post with a header from the centre of the box. Assisted by Manu Morlanes with a cross.
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Attempt missed. Landry Dimata (Espanyol) header from very close range is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Wu Lei with a cross following a set piece situation.
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Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Foul by Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona).
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Wu Lei (Espanyol) wins a free kick on the right wing.
