Topik: Rpnald Araujo, Xavi, Barcelona, Espanyol, La Liga
The two teams played out an intense affair yesterday, but one player took it a bit far with an unsavory gesture towards the opposition fans.

Yesterday's clash between Espanyol and Barcelona had it all. Three red cards, heated clashes on the pitch, four goals, and even a dramatic last-gasp equalizer! However, not everything that occurred in that La Liga showdown was tasteful.

Tempers boiled over in the RCDE Stadium clash as the Blaugrana went from being 1-0 up after only two minutes to being 2-1 down shortly after the hour mark. Fortunately for Xavi's men, Luuk de Jong came to the rescue, with the Dutch forward heading a lovely Adama Traore cross past the opposition keeper to secure a 2-2 draw in the 92nd minute.

Unfortunately, the tension led to one Barcelona player mocking the opposition fans in an unsavory manner. That man is none other than Ronald Araujo, with the young center-back making a controversial gesture towards the Espanyol supporters after a heated incident involving Gerard Pique and Nico Melamed.

The veteran defender and 20-year-old midfielder were involved in a short but costly clash, as both men were shown two yellow cards and subsequently sent off in the span of a few seconds due to their scuffle.

Araujo, who had been taken off, was seen holding two fingers up from the dugout to taunt the opposition, implying that their Catalan rivals will get relegated to LaLiga SmartBank, Spain's second division.

Fortunately, the Uruguayan wasted no time in showing remorse as the Camp Nou defender has taken to social media to issue an apology. The player explained that the heated atmosphere was the catalyst for his reaction but admitted that it was not something he looks back on with pride.

"I want to apologise to all the people of Espanyol for the unfortunate gesture I made tonight," he wrote on Instagram.

"Everything was the result of the tension experienced during a derby as disputed as today's.

"I consider myself a person who respects fans and rival clubs and that is why I am not proud of what happened."

Xavi was also asked for his thoughts on Araujo behavior during his post-match conference. While the Blaugrana tactician stressed that he had not seen the gesture, he too admitted that it is an unwelcomed sight and offered an apology to their bitter rivals.

"I haven't seen it," Xavi said, as per Marca.

"We have to respect the opponent, the referee, the rival fans. We always have to be respectful, but the tension can get to you sometimes.

"But, I apologize. If that happened, it can't happen."

While Barcelona would have preferred the victory, that dramatic draw helped the Spanish giants remain in fourth thanks to a superior goal differential over fifth-placed Atletico, who are now level on points. Espanyol, on the other hand, sit in 13th, boasting an eight-point advantage over the relegation zone.