Olmo and Lewandowski seal Barcelona's late triumph in derby against Espanyol

Late goals from Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski enabled Barcelona to secure a 2-0 victory over Espanyol on Saturday, extending their lead at the summit of La Liga to seven points.

The title holders were mostly dominated by their local opponents during the match, relying heavily on goalkeeper Joan Garcia to maintain parity in the intense derby against his previous club until Olmo's curling effort in the 86th minute.

Fermin Lopez set up Olmo's strike and then provided a perfect assist for Lewandowski, allowing Barcelona to notch their ninth straight league win and halt Espanyol's streak of five successive victories.

"I am unsure if we are frontrunners for La Liga... yet we are in fine form with a lead over Real Madrid, and our aim is to preserve that margin," Lopez commented.

Espanyol, sitting fifth, merited at least a draw from the fiercely contested encounter at the RCDE Stadium, until the timely interventions from Barcelona's replacements.

Real Madrid, in second place, will face Real Betis on Sunday.

The Espanyol supporters showed particular animosity towards Garcia, the first player from their ranks to join Barcelona in more than three decades during the summer transfer window.

To shield Barcelona's keeper, who faced constant jeers, the home team installed large protective nets behind the goals, while fans displayed banners depicting him as vermin.

In the midst of the hostility, Garcia executed two crucial saves in the opening period, ensuring the sides went into the break without scores.

"Joan is exceptional, an outstanding keeper. Facing his former supporters, he delivered a superb performance and secured a shutout," Olmo shared with Movistar.

"He has already contributed immensely and will continue to do so, without doubt."

Replacements decide the outcome

The opening half featured limited scoring opportunities in a tightly fought game, with Barcelona's advances often neutralised before posing a real threat, while Espanyol generated the most promising moments.

Forward Roberto Fernandez exploited Barcelona's advanced defensive line for a clear chance, but Garcia denied him and cleverly obstructed teammate Gerard Martin to block Pere Milla's rebound attempt.

Garcia then executed a remarkable stop to deflect Milla's header that appeared headed for goal.

His strong showings last term were key to Espanyol's survival in the elite division, but when Barcelona approached, he opted for the uncommon switch within the city.

Garcia's successor, Marko Dmitrovic, denied Jules Kounde's header shortly after the restart.

Barcelona's custodian was tested once more when Fernandez raced towards goal, but Garcia deflected the effort as the striker attempted to go around him.

Kounde blocked a shot on the line, and Garcia parried Fernandez's close-range attempt as Espanyol kept pressing Hansi Flick's team.

Barcelona's initial notable opportunity arrived in the 70th minute, with Eric Garcia denied from very close range by Dmitrovic's acrobatic intervention to preserve the tie.

In the end, a trio of Flick's changes combined to tip the balance towards Barcelona.

Lopez advanced and located Olmo, whose precise finish found the upper corner to open the scoring. This marked Olmo's return after more than a month out with a shoulder injury.

Lewandowski chipped in the second during the 90th minute following Lopez's penetrating run into the box, capping Barcelona's opportunistic success.