The incident occurred minutes before the start of the La Liga match between Espanyol and Barcelona, a city derby played at the former’s RCDE Stadium in the Cornellá area of Barcelona.
Eye witnesses told local media that at around 8.30pm a white Peugeot, whose driver found themselves in an area meant to be closed off to traffic due to the presence of thousands of football fans, drove into a crowd.
The driver is reported to be a woman, who has been arrested.
Barcelona's Lamine Yamal celebrates scoring their first goal against Espanyol
Barcelona's Lamine Yamal celebrates scoring their first goal against Espanyol
According to witnesses, some fans remonstrated against the presence of a car in the prohibited area, at which point the driver is reported to have lost control of the vehicle and hit several fans as she drove forward and in reverse in an attempt to get free of the crowd.
Some of those hit were reportedly dragged along for several metres.
No one reported to be in a life-threatening condition
Anxious moments followed the incident during which officers from the Catalan Mossos d’Esquadra police force attended to injured individuals and sought to calm the situation amid fears that that it had been a deliberate act of ramming.
Ten ambulances were dispatched to the scene and treated the injured on the spot.
According to the initial statement from the security forces, nine people suffered minor injuries, with four suffering more serious injuries.
In a statement posted on X by the Mossos police force, five people were still being treated two hours after the incident, but none were reported to be in a life-threatening condition.
Police have opened an investigation to determine what happened, although in their initial assessment they classified the incident it as an accident.
Police sources told the La Vanguardia newspaper that the driver of the vehicle, reported to be a woman of between 45 and 55 years of age, had no criminal record. She faces probable charges of reckless driving and causing injury.
The driver was also treated by medical services for shock.
Inside Espanyol’s stadium, play was briefly suspended after an announcement was made seven minutes into the match regarding the incident. But the referee, after consulting with the stadium manager, decided that the match would continue.
Some Espanyol fans protested that the match should be suspended.
Barcelona won the match 2-0, meaning they are this season’s La Liga champions, ahead of rivals Real Madrid in second place.
It just had to be the teenage phenom Lamine Yamal who scored the decisive goal to clinch the title.
And what a goal it was for the player who still wears dental braces and sports a new dyed-blond hairdo.
The 17-year-old struck the winner in Barcelona's 2-0 victory when he slid past two defenders outside the area and whipped one his now trademark left-footed curlers into the corner of the net.
It was a perfect culmination to Yamal's last 10 months.
After helping Spain win the European Championship last summer, Yamal excelled for Barcelona this campaign with his goals, dribbling and playmaking as he confirmed his status as the next big star of global soccer. Along with Raphinha, Pedri and company, and Barcelona were unstoppable.
“I always try my best and today I was lucky it went in,” Yamal said. "I am very happy I could help the team and celebrate it.”
Fermín López ensured the win in stoppage time after Espanyol was reduced to 10 men in the 80th when Leandro Cabrera received a direct red for hitting Yamal in the stomach while disputing a ball.
Barcelona won the title with two rounds remaining, completing a domestic double with the Copa del Rey title and reached the Champions League semi-finals in a fantastic first season for coach Hansi Flick.