Espanyol have given hosts Barcelona plenty to think about in the opening 45 minutes of their La Liga derby clash at the Camp Nou.
Barcelona have struggled to create any rhythm in the first half, with two half chances for Luis Suarez the closest they have come to breaking the deadlock.
However, the visitors have carried a genuine threat on the counter attack, with midfielder Adri Embarba drawing the first save of the game from Marc Ter Stegen on 12 minutes.
But there was nothing the German international could do about Espanyol’s clearest opportunity, as full back Didac Vila hit a post on 44 minutes.
Vila was played in by a long ball behind the Barcelona defence, but with his cross only half cleared by Clement Lenglet, he was offered a second attempt, as his curled effort clipped the post.
Espanyol continue to apply pressure on Barcelona, this time hitting the post! 😱
Not how most would have predicted this derby to play out so far 👀 pic.twitter.com/Yi2HL7IXGM
— Premier Sports 📺 (@PremierSportsTV) July 8, 2020
Francisco Rufete’s side are on the verge of La Liga relegation, and the visitors need to win to avoid having their relegation to the second tier confirmed tonight.
