Depay's strike at the start of the second half ensured Xavi's homecoming at Camp Nou ended in victory, but a nervy one so that it will have left him under no illusions approximately the issue of the mission beforehand.
Raul de Tomas two times struck the publish overdue on as Espanyol spurned a flurry of late probabilities that really need to have seen them take a draw from a game Barca dominated for an hour and then almost allow slip from their hold close.
Results, although, need to come quickly and this one lifts Xavi's group from ninth within the desk to 6th, six points at the back of Atletico Madrid, who earlier wanted a late Felipe header to win 1-0 at domestic to Osasuna after Sevilla had been held to a 2-2 draw via Alaves.
There was additionally an undeniable uplift in mood at Camp Nou, with the 74,418 attendance nearly double the 37,278 that watched Barca draw right here against Alaves two weeks in the past.
At his unveiling ultimate week, Xavi had emphasised the want for "regulations" or even earlier than kick-off there had been signs of a shift. The players rolled into Camp Nou beneath a plume of crimson smoke, with the squad arriving all together on the team bus.
Barcelona's XI boasted 8 La Masia graduates, together with Ilias Akhomach, who turned into exceeded his debut. Ilias turned into the second 17-yr-vintage in Xavi's first starting line-up at the side of Gavi and when he turned into changed at half-time, on got here the 19-12 months-vintage Abde Ezzalzouli.
In the nice and cozy-up, there has been a more extreme exercising of assault against defence and while Depay scored it changed into perhaps no longer just remedy that saw all 10 outfield players celebrating together inside the nook
The football was quicker and more a laugh. Barcelona's players regarded liberated inside the final 1/3, where passes had been flicked, scooped and backheeled. The excellent of them, by means of Gavi, brought about Depay winning the penalty.
They began in a four-three-three with both Gavi and Ilias hugging the touchlines and stretching Espanyol's defence out wide.
