China star Wu Lei’s Barcelona goal makes history and gives Espanyol vital La Liga point
- Equaliser ‘watched by one billion’ as media attention reaches fever pitch following late strike in derby
- Outpouring of emotion from fans on social media after Wu becomes first Chinese player to score against Barcelona
China’s star footballer Wu Lei scored a late equaliser for Espanyol against city rivals Barcelona to secure a 2-2 draw at the Estadio Cornella El Prat on Saturday night.
The goal marked a historic first for Chinese football as Wu became the first player from China to score against Barcelona in any competition.
Spanish newspaper AS hinted at the goal’s significance with a headline declaring that it would be seen by “one billion people”. The game kicked off at 4am Beijing time.
One fan in the stadium grabbed global attention as he was celebrating Wu’s equaliser despite wearing a Barcelona shirt.
The supporter, who was reported to be Chinese, attracted a lot of attention and comments on social media. Several Chinese social media users praised his patriotism for supporting Wu Lei over Barcelona.