SOCCER: Barcelona beat Espanyol 4-1 to move nine points clear in LaLiga

Barcelona strengthened their grip on the LaLiga title with a dominant 4-1 win over Espanyol, pulling nine points clear of Real Madrid with seven games remaining. Ferran Torres starred with a first-half brace as the Catalan side controlled the derby.

Reuters

April 12, 2026

Soccer Football - LaLiga - FC Barcelona v Espanyol - Spotify Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain - April 11, 2026 FC Barcelona's Ferran Torres scores their third goal before it is disallowed

Albert Gea/Reuters

Barcelona took a major step towards the LaLiga title with a 4-1 victory over city rivals Espanyol on Saturday, moving nine points clear of Real Madrid.

Ferran Torres struck twice, assisted by Lamine Yamal both times, in the first half as the hosts dominated possession.

He first scored with a header from a corner in the 10th minute and doubled the lead in the 25th, racing clear from another Yamal pass.

Espanyol pulled one back in the 56th minute when Pol Lozano fired in a rebound from just inside the box, but Yamal restored control in the 87th minute in a quick-counter, with Marcus Rashford adding a fourth from Frenkie De Jong's cross as Barca moved to 79 points with seven games left.

Second-placed Real lost ground after a 1-1 draw with Girona on Friday.

-Reporting by Fernando Kallas in Madrid, editing by Pritha Sarkar/Reuters