A huge downpour in Barcelona before and during the entire game gave the surface at the RCDE Stadium a greasy top, ensuring that tackles had to be expertly timed, and passes accurate. Both sides appeared to cope well in the opening exchanges under the circumstances.
Barça’s passing game was quickly in evidence and the visitors were content to switch play from side to side. Without Lionel Messi from the start, Paco Alcácer was heavily involved, and the striker just failed to connect with a presentable chance before the quarter hour.
Philippe Coutinho, back at the club where he spent an earlier part of his career, almost broke the deadlock with an exquisite curled effort which crashed back off of the crossbar, and shortly after, Marc-Andre ter Stegen was equal to a long-range shot from Leo Baptistao, as Los Periquitos attempted to get a foothold in a game that remained goalless at the break.
Standing water, particularly in the central areas, began to wreak havoc and possession was ceded by both sides with alarming regularity. With Andrés Iniesta imperious, the Blaugrana looked to dictate, whereas Espanyol preferred to play a long-ball game to Baptistao and hit the visitors on the break.