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Spanish football returns with another edition of the Derbi Barceloni this weekend as Espanyol lock horns in a La Liga clash with Xavi's Barcelona at the Cornella-El Prat on Sunday.
Espanyol vs Barcelona Preview
Espanyol are currently in 13th place in the La Liga standings and have been fairly inconsistent after an impressive start to their season. The hosts suffered a damaging 2-1 defeat against Athletic Bilbao last weekend and will need to avoid another slump in what is set to be a crucial phase of their season.
Barcelona, on the other hand, are in fourth place in the league table and are looking to secure their place in the Champions League next season. The Blaugrana pulled off a massive 4-2 victory against top-four rivals Atletico Madrid in their previous game and will look to take it up a notch this weekend.
Espanyol vs Barcelona Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- Barcelona have an excellent record in the Catalan derby and have won 125 out of 213 matches played between the two teams, as opposed to Espanyol's 44 victories.
- Espanyol's 125 defeats against Barcelona represent their worst record against a single opponent in Spanish football.
- Barcelona are unbeaten in their last 23 matches against Espanyol in La Liga and could register the longest unbeaten run for a team against its local rival in the competition's history.
- Barcelona are also unbeaten in their last 13 away games against Espanyol and have a stunning record against their Catalan rivals.
- Espanyol have failed to register a victory in their last four La Liga games and have suffered two defeats in the competition during this period.
- Barcelona have won consecutive games in La Liga over the past month and have not managed three victories on the trot since April 2021.
Espanyol vs Barcelona Prediction
Barcelona have shown tremendous improvement under Xavi and will need to build on their impressive form this month. The Catalans outplayed Atletico Madrid last week and cannot afford to underestimate their opponents this weekend.
Espanyol have endured a definitive slump over the past month and have several issues to solve before the end of the season. Barcelona are the better team at the moment and should be able to win this game.
Prediction: Espanyol 1-3 Barcelona
Espanyol vs Barcelona Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Result: Barcelona
Tip 2 - Goals over/under 2.5 - Over 2.5 goals
Tip 3 - Ferran Torres to score anytime: YES
Tip 4 - Barcelona to score first: YES
