Espanyol vs. Barcelona: Score and Reaction from 2016 La Liga Match

Barcelona and Espanyol played out a scoreless draw on Saturday in what proved to be something of a false start to the new year for the Blaugrana after a strong run to end 2015.

Chances were few, particularly in the first half, as the hosts did a fantastic job limiting space for the Barcelona midfield. They were not afraid to get their hands dirty, and Barca were knocked out of their stride.

Officials always seem to be a little more lenient in derby matches, and the Blaugrana's frustrations were clear by full-time as they too produced some harsh fouls in a feisty affair. The draw means Barcelona could lose top spot in the standings later on Saturday.

As shared by the club's official Twitter account, Barcelona fielded arguably their strongest lineup for this clash with city rivals Espanyol, including the usual attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar:

The Blaugrana have dominated most of their Spanish opposition with this starting XI, but Espanyol seemed unfazed. From the opening kickoff, they were willing to stand up to their visitors, seeing plenty of the ball and even pressing forward at times.

Felipe Caicedo was the first player to infiltrate deep into the opponents' half, while at the other end Suarez nearly found Jordi Alba at the far post with a clever pass.

Espanyol continued to press high up the pitch, and Barcelona seemed unable to deal with it. The hosts weren't afraid to commit a handful of rash fouls, either, but early on it didn't lead to any bookings.

AS English couldn't help but notice the official, the same who had a dreadful outing in the match between Real Madrid and Real Sociedad in Week 17:

"

José Luis González González refs this Catalan derby, the same who was threatened by Aperribay after two pens for RM vs RS in the Bernabéu ..

— AS English (@English_AS) January 2, 2016"

Barca couldn't muster a single good chance until the 21st minute, when Suarez really should have done better after a lovely free-kick from Messi. The Uruguay international made a great turn, but he rushed his finish and couldn't get the ball on target.

Espanyol also came close to opening the scoring on one occasion, when Claudio Bravo horribly mishandled a cross that the hosts just couldn't take advantage of.

On the whole, chances were few in the first half, to the delight of the home fans. Football writer Richard Martin noticed they had started taunting Messi:

As the first half went on, the challenges became heavier and cards started to fly out of the official's pocket. Messi nearly took advantage of one of those fouls with a textbook free-kick, but the Argentinian has had a lot of bad luck with his set pieces in the last few weeks, and once again, he hit the woodwork.

It would be the final chance of the first half, and ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan was hardly impressed with what he had seen up until that point:

Barcelona's energy in the first half had been all wrong, but the defending champions started the second half much more brightly. Suarez found Neymar after a smart move inside, but the Brazilian's shot was charged down at the last second.

Hernan Perez came very close to gifting the hosts a shock lead, drifting inside before unleashing a powerful drive that just missed the post. The winger made a strong impression on the day, as did young on-loan star Marco Asensio.

Corrigan liked the Real Madrid youngster's complete game:

But it was becoming increasingly more difficult for Espanyol to keep Barcelona away from their goal. Suarez showed great reflexes to get his foot onto a ball near the back post, and his shot struck the woodwork. On the other side of the pitch, Gerard Pique had to scramble to clear the ball off the line after a series of corners for Espanyol.

Whereas the first half had been a slow and rather dull affair, the second was vibrant and exciting, and both teams had their chances. A defensive mistake from Barcelona should have resulted in a goal for Espanyol, but Caicedo couldn't decide which of his three team-mates to pick out on the counter.

Neymar tried his luck with a spectacular volley, but the ball flew straight at Espanyol goalkeeper Pau Sabata, who probably expected a busier afternoon. Given Barcelona's possession stats, the fans probably expected the same, via Goal UK:

Barcelona seemed to grow desperate for a goal inside the final 10 minutes, which didn't help their late push. A comical short free-kick routine ended up with the ball going out for a throw, perfectly illustrating what type of afternoon it was for the Blaugrana.

Neymar took out his frustrations on the hosts, committing a harsh foul that rightly saw him booked with minutes to play. Papa Kouly Diop responded in kind, and the match almost spiralled out of control in the final minutes.

Messi had a final go with another free-kick just before the final whistle, but the ball drifted well past the post, bringing an end to a frustrating afternoon for the Blaugrana.

It's not the start to 2016 Barcelona were hoping for, and Atletico Madrid can take over the La Liga lead with a win over Levante later on Saturday. Barcelona and Espanyol will meet again in a matter of days, this time for the Copa del Rey.  

Post-Match Reaction

As shared by the club's official Twitter account, Barcelona manager Luis Enrique knew Espanyol wouldn't take it easy on his side:

He also praised their defensive fortitude, while he believed his side created enough chances to grab a result.

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