After his victory at the Battle of Cardadeu on 16 December, Gouvion Saint-Cyr relieved the blockaded Imperial corps under Guillaume Philibert Duhesme in Barcelona. Subsequently, the Spanish army fell back to a position behind the Llobregat River. Sending Joseph Chabran's division to mount a false frontal attack of the Spanish lines, Gouvion Saint-Cyr led the bulk of his corps to smash the opposing right flank. The Spanish position soon crumbled, but the French missed a chance to win a more significant victory when Chabran failed to pin down his outmaneuvered enemies. After the loss of its leader, Theodor von Reding took command of the Spanish army.