Substitute Luke De Jong scored a header in the 96th minute to salvage a 2-2 draw for Barcelona away to city rivals Espanyol in La Liga on Sunday, in a match that saw a player from each team sent off in the final minutes. Espanyol seemed on their way to securing their first league win over Barcelona in 15 years before De Jong converted an Adama Traore cross into the net.
With this result, coach Xavi Hernandez's team returned to fourth place, the last qualifying spot for the Champions League, equal on points with Atletico Madrid at 39 and one point ahead of sixth-placed Real Sociedad.
Barcelona midfielder Pedri told Movistar, "We needed to be calmer on the pitch at all times; the team was a bit too active, and we need to improve on that. It's a point after coming back from a loss, but we feel disappointed. We came here for three points and leave with only one."
Barcelona appeared to be in for an easy match when they took the lead after just two minutes through Pedri, who converted a Jordi Alba cross from close range. Both Ferran Torres and Traore came close to scoring for Barcelona before Sergi Darder equalized in the dying moments of the first half with a shot from the edge of the area following a good play by Raul de Tomas.
A goal by Barcelona's Gavi was also disallowed ten minutes into the second half after a VAR intervention as the visiting team sought to regain the lead. However, Barcelona paid the price for a defensive error committed by substitute Eric Garcia in the 64th minute, and Darder capitalized by passing to De Tomas, who scored the second goal.
The former Real Madrid player calmly put the ball into the net, a goal that seemed set to give Espanyol the victory. As tensions flared in the final minutes, both Gerard Pique and Nico Melamed were sent off after a challenge for a loose ball, before De Jong's late equalizer.
