Barcelona denied derby win following penalty call

• Barcelona’s 2022 season came to an end with a 1-1 draw against Espanyol.
• The Blaugrana went into the game under pressure after Real Madrid’s 2-0 win.
• Marcos Alonso headed Barcelona ahead after only six minutes.

Barcelona’s 2022 season came to an end when referee Mateu Lahoz awarded a bizarre penalty to Espanyol late in the game, giving them an equaliser. With the 1-1 tie, Real Madrid finishes the year on top of the table.

The Blaugrana went into the game under pressure after Real Madrid’s 2-0 win against Real Valladolid the night before, knowing they needed a win to retake first place.

Any pre-game jitters were quickly dispelled when Marcos Alonso headed Barcelona ahead after only six minutes. Robert Lewandowski flicked on Ansu Fati’s corner to the back post, where Andreas Christensen was lurking. The Dane’s header was met by Marcos Alonso, who nodded beyond the onrushing goalie for a flawless start.

On 18 minutes, Marcos Alonso had a fantastic opportunity to score his second from a Jordi Alba cross, but he managed to nudge it wide from point blank range with his weaker right foot.

On 33 minutes, Nico Melamed looked to rocket a short into the far corner of the goal, but Sergi Roberto’s save diverted it wide.

Raphinha tried his luck from outside the box with a thunderous left footed drive just before the break. The goalkeeper made an unusual save, allowing the ball to trickle across goal but eventually be cleared.

Barcelona should have had the game-winning goal ten minutes into the second half. Alonso swung in a fantastic cross, which Lewandowski sweetly connected with, but the ball went just wide.

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