Barcelona beats Espanyol's appeal, Lewandowski cleared to play in La Liga

In a major victory for Barcelona, the La Liga Appeals Committee has rejected Espanyol's appeal over the alleged improper fielding of Robert Lewandowski.

Despite the striker picking up two yellow cards in the previous game, he played the full 90 minutes of the 1-1 draw between the two city rivals on December 31.

While it was known that Lewandowski's ban wouldn't come into effect until the Blaugrana faced Atletico Madrid on January 8, Espanyol still lodged an appeal to have Barcelona's point from the match stripped away.

However, the appeals committee deemed the complaint as "lacking any competence".

With Lewandowski in red-hot form this season, scoring 23 goals in 25 appearances, Barcelona can breathe a sigh of relief.

The Poland international has been crucial in helping the club maintain their lead at the top of the La Liga table, currently five points clear of Real Madrid.

As they gear up for their next match against Sevilla this Sunday, Barcelona will be grateful to have this issue behind them.