Angel Valdes | December 31, 2022
In a match where there were 15 yellow cards and 2 expulsions, Barcelona tied 1-1 with Espanyol on date 15 of the Spanish league where it is now tied with Real Madrid for first place, but the Barça team has a better difference of goals.
Marcos Alonso at minute 7′ of play made it 1-0 for Barcelona, until Joselu scored a penalty for Espanyol and decreed a 1-1 tie in a very eventful game where the protagonist was the referee Mateu Lahoz, the same one who took 15 yellow cards in the quarterfinal match of the World Cup in Qatar between Argentina and the Netherlands.
Lahoz did not lose his taste for warnings and in total he drew 15 cards in the game, punishing 8 Barcelona players with yellow cards, including the expulsion of Jordi Alba due to accumulation of cards and 7 Espanyol players saw the yellow card and Vinicius de Souza was sent off for a double yellow.
Barcelona could not end the year 2022 with a victory that will ensure it is the sole leader in the Spanish league and is now tied with Real Madrid with 38 units, although the goal difference favors the Catalans with +28 while the Meringues have a difference of +21.
Barcelona’s first game in 2023 will be next January 8 when they visit Atlético de Madrid, while Real Madrid has a away commitment against Villarreal on January 7.
