Preview
Barcelona are back in action this weekend, with the Spanish giants set to take to the field on Sunday in what should be an interesting fixture. The reason for this is simple: Xavi's men will lock horns with bitter Catalan rivals Espanyol, with the RCDE Stadium set to be the venue for this 3 p.m. ET affair.
The Blaugrana have endured a rough season, with the European giants crashing out of the UEFA Champions League in the group stage and sacking their previous head coach, Ronald Koeman, in the middle of the season due to horrendous form. However, Pedri and Co. should enter this derby with the utmost confidence.
Why? Because Barcelona visit their bitter rivals on the back of an impressive 4-2 victory over Atletico Madrid, the defending champions in Spain. This was a significant win given that they had lost to both Real Madrid (2x) and Simeone's men prior to that Camp Nou showdown. The Catalan giants needed to mend their wounded pride, and that's what they did, as goals from Jordi Alba, Gavi, Ronald Araujo, and Dani Alves secured them the precious win.
Alves, in particular, was in sizzling form, setting up the equalizer before getting on the scoresheet himself. The Brazilian was unfortunately sent off later in the game due to a little intervention from VAR, but that did not matter, as Xavi's crew were able to see out the game despite the one-man disadvantage.
And the good news did not stop there! Adama Traore, who returned to Barcelona on a loan from Wolves, made his first start for the club and was unstoppable, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang also got his debut. Additionally, that result helped the Blaugrana leapfrog Atletico into the top four, which is a huge boost in their bid to qualify for UEFA Champions League football.
Victory over Espanyol would show that last weekend's triumph was no fluke. However, the club has a crucial Europa League encounter with Napoli coming this Thursday, which will weigh on Xavi's mind. Regardless, bragging rights is up for grabs, meaning the visitors would be foolish to underestimate their rivals.
At first glance, Periquitos look like they're having a dreadful campaign. However, given that they secured promotion back to La Liga for this season, the goal can be boiled down to simply avoiding relegation, which they are well on track to achieve.
Nonetheless, Vicente Moreno's side are winless in their last four games and will need a turnaround if they are to come away with something against their superior neighbors. Unfortunately, the hosts have lost their last two games at home, which makes for a poor reading. Will they end that run versus Barcelona? Tune in to find out.
Team news
Espanyol: Fernando Calero is a doubt due to injury while Oscar Gil is out due to suspension. Raul de Tomas is back, however, which is a huge boost for the home side.
Barcelona: As mentioned earlier, Dani Alves is suspended for this tie due to his sending off versus Atletico. Meanwhile, Samuel Umtiti, Ansu Fati, Sergi Roberto and Alejandro Balde are all injured. Elsewhere, Lenglet, Depay, and Garcia are doubts.
Key stats
Barcelona are unbeaten in their last 23 encounters with Espanyol.
If the Blaugrana avoid defeat on Sunday, then they will set the record for longest consecutive unbeaten run in the league versus a single opponent.
Espanyol are winless in their last 13 home clashes with their Catalan rivals.
Broadcast listings
Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
