FC Barcelona blanked Espanyol 2-0 on Saturday thanks to Lionel Messi’s brace. The obvious major positive takeaway is that Barca played well against their local rivals and walked off the pitch with the three points. But looking between the lines, there are more beneficial takeaways from the Blaugranas’ win over Espanyol.

Nobody got injured

We’ll start with the elephant in the room. Many Barca fans expressed their concerns about Ernesto Valverde’s choice of playing Messi or other key players against the 14th placed team in La Liga when the club has a busy schedule ahead of them, that includes a game against second-placed team Atletico Madrid on April 6 and a UEFA Champions League clash versus Manchester United four days later.

With the way the Spanish champions’ season has been going, it is understandable to fear injuries. Starters Messi, Samuel Umititi, and Luis Suarez have been injured and Ousmane Dembele is currently nursing a torn hamstring.

Well, on Saturday, none of the Barcelona players walked out of the stadium limping.

Form

Another thing needed before entering a schedule with two notable outings in just five days besides health is form.

Barcelona’s victory over Espanyol carried them to an eight-match winning run. It wasn’t an unconvincing victory either, the team performed well —Messi looked outstanding. It was the same story in their previous game against Real Betis. FCB put up a masterclass behind a sensational hat trick from Messi.

Therefore, form-wise, the Spanish giants looked ready for their upcoming CL game against United and their match versus Atletico.

Espanyol was a good test

Barca’s 2-0 victory against their crosstown rivals wasn’t an easy one. The team didn’t score until the 71st minute and netted their second goal in the 89th minute. Espanyol was playing with five defenders, which made Barcelona work harder for their two goals.

On the defensive end, Clement Lenglet and Arthur Melo had to make some goal-saving interceptions. After all, it was a derby. Espanyol was a good challenge before Valverde’s men massive fixtures.

Philippe Coutinho is improving

The Brazilian didn’t play to his peak days, but he’s certainly seen worse days in Spain.

Coutinho looked more comfortable, his chemistry with his teammates is certainly growing. He didn’t find the net nor sent one of his teammates on goal but made several intelligent Barca-like passes.

Malcom finally played

Before Saturday, Malcom Oliveira has only featured in five minutes since starting against Real Madrid on February 6. The winger’s lack of playing even stirred a rumor about him being linked with a move to Inter Milan.

Malcolm didn’t only play 35 minutes against Espanyol but also racked an assist, which was good not only for his state of mind but also for his form going into the team’s hectic schedule. The 22-year-old will more than likely be called upon more often in order to rest the starting forwards.