Barcelona would be handed a 0-3 loss in the derby if Espanyol’s appeal is upheld

Espanyol have caused quite the pushback against Barcelona in recent days following the the Central Contentious Court of Madrid’s decision to grant Robert Lewandowski’s suspension a temporary relief, thereby making him eligible to feature in the Catalan derby that ended 1-1.

The club from Catalonia published an official statement shortly after the decision was announced. They went on to confirm that there would be no official representation during the game, in protest of the decision.

Yesterday, Espanyol went one step further by launching an official complaint letter to RFEF and challenging the outcome of the derby. They were essentially asking for RFEF to grant them a victory, as they viewed Lewandowski’s involvement in the game an ‘improper’.

According to a report from SPORT, Barcelona could be in deep trouble if Espanyol’s complaint letter and the request are approved by the RFEF.

This would mean Barcelona would technically forfeit the game, and the result will be registered as a 3-0 defeat for the Blaugrana, thus landing a serious blow to the club’s hopes of maintaining the lead over Real Madrid at the top of the table.

As things currently stand, Barcelona are at the top even despite their draw with Espanyol. They are level on points with defending champions Real Madrid, but ahead only due to a superior goal difference.

But if their clash against Espanyol gets registered as a 3-0 defeat, Barça will drop down to the second spot, and trail Real Madrid by a point. It will be a blow for Xavi’s men, especially ahead of a tough contest against Atletico Madrid.

Barcelona, though, have serious legal firepower and given that the approval to field Lewandowski came from the Madrid Central Contentious Court, they have grounds to defend the Pole’s inclusion in the Espanyol game, thus maintaining the legality of the result in this controversial Catalan derby.