Barcelona 1-1 Espanyol: Joselu penalty cancels Marcos Alonso header as Barca held to a 1-1 draw

Barcelona were held to a 1-1 draw on Saturday against Espanyol at the Camp Nou in their local derby. 

Barcelona missed the opportunity to take a two-point lead in the LaLiga standings following the draw. 

In the seventh minute, Marcos Alonso gave them the lead with a header but former Real Madrid striker Joselu won and then converted a penalty with 17 minutes remaining to make it 1-1.

In a chaotic finish to the game where both teams were searching for a victor, controversial referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz took center stage by dismissing Jordi Alba of Barcelona and Vinicius Souza of Espanyol three minutes apart.

Following the draw, Barcelona is now tied on points with Madrid after 15 games, with 38 points.