It was the top of the bottom in the meeting between the city rivals. Barcelona won by 1–0 against table final Espanyol, but without impressing at home at Camp Nou.
The only goal of the match was Luis Suárez in the 56th minute, after being cleared with the ball just in front of goal.
But the most dramatic of the match happened shortly before, as both teams were reduced to ten players in a few minutes. Barcelona's 17-year-old talent Ansu Fati had just been substituted in the second half, when he carelessly kicked Espanoyl's defender Fernando Calero on the limb with the doubles. The teenager was sent off the pitch with a red card in the 50th minute, after just under five minutes of play.
Shortly after that, it was time again when Espanyol's Pol Lozano made an equally ugly tackle against Barcelona's defender Gerard Piqué. He was sent off in the red card after a VAR decision in the 53th minute.
Barcelona are chasing their third straight league title, with three matches remaining this season. After the win, the team has only one point up to leading Real Madrid, but the metropolitan team has a match less played and can resume its four-point lead on Friday, when facing Alavés.
For Espanyol, the loss means the team moves down and loses their place in the Spanish league's highest division, the Reuters news agency writes. The old enriched club is clearly last in the table with 24 points.