Barcelona hope to extend their lead at the top of La Liga on Sunday afternoon when they host Catalan rivals Espanyol in La Liga Barcelona derby.
La Blaugrana extended their lead at the top with gusto last weekend, beat Real Madrid 4-0 The classic at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Four unanswered strikes in the second half clinched a memorable victory and gave Barcelona a six-point advantage over the reigning champions. That margin will be extended to nine this weekend if Hansi Flick’s side beat Espanyol the postponement of Madrid’s clash with Valencia.
Barça have dominated this particular derby in recent years, with Espanyol not winning this game since January 2018. Having spent last season in the second division, Espanyol meet their local rivals for the first time time since the 4-2 defeat in May 2023. – a game that secured the 2022/23 League title for Xavi’s Barça.
Espanyol have made a very disappointing start to their return to La Liga, with just ten points accumulated in their first 11 games. They have tasted five defeats in their last six league outings, but earned some respite in midweek after beating San Tirso 4-0 in the Copa del Rey.
here it is 90 minutes guide to an affair from all over Barcelona.
Barcelona vs Espanyol head-to-head record (last five games)
Current form (all competitions)
|
Barcelona |
Spanish |
|---|---|
|
Real Madrid 0-4 Barcelona – 26/10/24 |
San Tirso 0-4 Spain – 31/10/2 |
|
Barcelona 4-1 Bayern Munich – 23/10/24 |
Espanyol 0-2 Sevilla – 25/10/24 |
|
Barcelona 5-1 Sevilla – 20/10/24 |
Athletic Club 4-1 Espanyol – 19/10/24 |
|
Alaus 0-3 Barcelona – 06/10/24 |
Espanyol 2-1 Mallorca – 05/10/24 |
|
Barcelona 5-0 Young Boys – 01/10/24 |
Real Betis 1-0 Espanyol – 29/09/24 |
|
country |
TV channel/live broadcast |
|---|---|
|
united kingdom |
Premier Sports 2, Premier Sports Player, LaLigaTV |
|
united states |
fuboTV, ESPN+, ESPN App, ESPN Deportes |
|
canada |
TSN+ |
Barcelona keep fighting a long list of absentees and Flick is still without Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Andreas Christensen, Ronald Araujo, Marc Bernal and Ferran Torres. Eric Garcia is also a doubt for the weekend game.
However, they have been boosted by the return of some key midfielders in recent weeks, with Frenkie de Jong, Gavi and Dani Olmo making their comebacks.
De Jong has rejoined the team, but could be the first starter since April against Espanyol. Olmo could also replace FermÃn López in the number ten spot.
Barça’s forward line has been purring in recent weeks with 21 goals scored in their last five games. Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski have been in particularly strong goalscoring form, with 15 of those goals coming from the duo.
Predicted lineup of Barcelona against Espanyol (4-2-3-1): Punishment; Kounde, Cubarsi, MartÃnez, Balde; De Jong, Peter; Yamal, Olmo, Raphinha; Lewandowski.
Espanyol are short on players for their trip to Barcelona, ​​with Fernando Calero missing in defense and Pol Lozano and Jose Gragera expected to miss out in the middle of the park.
Espanyol have problems on the left wing with Edu Exposito sidelined and Naci Unuvar a doubt after suffering discomfort in the Copa del Rey win in midweek.
Tottenham Hotspur On-loan Alejo Veliz scored a hat-trick in midweek and will now be ready to take his goalscoring form into La Liga.
Predicted line-up Espanyol vs Barcelona (5-3-2): Garcia; Tejero, El Hilali, Kumbulla, Cabrera, Romero; Racing, Kral, Aguardo; Veliz, Puado
Barcelona will be a big favorite not only to beat Espanyol on Sunday, but also to increase the score. They’ve scored three or more in eight different games this season and feature an array of attacking talent in outstanding form.
On the other hand, Espanyol have one of the most leaky defenses in the division with 19 goals conceded in 11 games, while they have also managed just ten goals. Barça’s powers are too strong at the moment and Sunday’s derby could be as one-sided as it gets.
