RCDE Stadium is set to host an amazing La Liga derby this weekend as Espanyol take on Barcelona in the 25th match day of the campaign. Kickoff is scheduled for 13th February 2022 at 23:00 EAT.
The home team is in a long winless streak at the moment and they have a long history of derby rivalry with this opponent. Espanyol is currently in the 13th position with 27 points after 23 matches. Coming into this game, Espanyol has three loses, a win a draw in the last five games both home and away. BTTS has landed in an intriguing 5 of those games. Espanyol scored seven goals and both teams scored in all their last five games.
Espanyol will be hoping to bounce from a four game winless run, with the latest being 2-1 La Liga loss to Athletic Bilbao. In that game, Espanyol managed 56% possession, seven shots with three of them on target and a goal scored by Tonny Vilhena (3′). Athletic Bilbao got seven shots with four of them on target and goals by Oihan Sancet (5′) and Iñigo Martínez (16′).
Barcelona seems to have built momentum under the new management of Xavi. Well, not as dominant as their treble-winning teams, but they look like a squad that is not to be taken lightly. Barcelona have been climbing up the La Liga table after a seven game unbeaten run, and they suddenly find themselves in the in the 4th place with 38 points after 22 matches.
The Catalans gets into this meeting on off the back off 4-2 La Liga win triumph to beat Atlético Madrid in their last game. In that game, Barcelona had 57% possession, nine shots with four of them on target and goals scored by Jordi Alba (10′), Gavi (21′), Ronald Araújo (43′) and Dani Alves (49′). Atlético Madrid got 10 shots with four of them on target and goals by Yannick Carrasco (8′) and Luis Suárez (58′).
Espanyol vs Barcelona head to head
Barcelona has an excellent record in the direct encounters between these two teams having won 44 times out of the 65 meetings since 1994. There have been 15 draws and Espanyol has six wins.
- Barcelona 1-0 Espanyol 20/11/21
- Barcelona 1-0 Espanyol 08/07/20
- Espanyol 2-2 Barcelona 04/01/20
- Barcelona 2-0 Espanyol 30/03/19
- Espanyol 0-4 Barcelona 08/12/18
Home
- Bilbao 2-1 Espanyol
- Espanyol 1-4 Real Betis
- Cadiz 2-2 Espanyol
- Mallorca 2-1 Espanyol
- Espanyol 1-2 Elche
Away
- Barcelona 4-2 Atletico
- Alaves 0-1 Barcelona
- Bilbao 3-2 Barcelona
- Barcelona 2-3 Real Madrid
- Granada 1-1 Barcelona
Espanyol team news
The hosts will be without Oscar Gil sidelined through suspension and while Fernando Calero is an injury doubt.
Barcelona team news
As for Barca, Dani Alves will miss the match through suspension, while Samuel Umtiti, Ansu Fati, Sergi Roberto and Alejandro Balde are on the sidelines through injury.
Prediction and odds
Xavi’s men are placed fourth in the table, and they are one of the only three squads in the whole league to have stayed unbeaten in the past five match-days and we are backing them to go for the sixth match without a loss.
- Barcelona Win
- Goals over 2.5
- Both teams to score (No)
