La Liga leaders Barcelona will be looking to secure their 11th win of the new season when they host 17th-placed Espanyol.
Barcelona will be looking to make it four wins in a row in La Liga when they welcome Espanyol, who have lost their last two league games, to Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on Sunday afternoon.
The Blaugrana are top of the points table with 30 points in their 11 matches. They have a six-point cushion over second-placed Real Madrid after thrashing them in El Clasico. Hansi Flick’s men have been playing some exceptional football and having thrashed Real Madrid 4-0 in their last outing, they will be quite confident of their chances against Espanyol.
The visitors are 17th with ten points in their 11 outings thanks to three wins and a draw. They have already lost seven league games and have only won one out of their last five games.
After defeats against Athletic Club and Sevilla, Espanyol are heading into this fixture on the back of a 4-0 win against San Triso in the Copa del Rey. While they will try to script an upset, it looks very unlikely. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Barcelona
Barcelona will remain without the services of Ferran Torres, Marc Bernal, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Ronald Araujo, and Andreas Christensen. Meanwhile, the availability of Eric Garcia is a major doubt.
Frenkie de Jong, Dani Olmo, and Gavi will be pushing for a place in the starting XI. While De Jong and Olmo should finally start in this fixture, Gavi might have to wait a little longer.
Hansi Flick will stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Inaki Pena will be in goal. Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde will feature as the full-backs, while Inigo Martinez and Pau Cubarsi will continue in the heart of the defence.
De Jong should come in for Marc Casado and partner Pedri in midfield. They will look to control the tempo of the game. Dani Olmo should take charge as the attacking midfielder, while Lamine Yamal and Raphinha should feature on the flanks. Meanwhile, Robert Lewandowski will continue to lead the line for them.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Pena; Kounde, Cubarsi, Inigo Martinez, Balde; De Jong, Pedri; Yamal, Olmo, Raphinha; Lewandowski
Espanyol
Fernando Calero and Edu Exposito are out injured, while Pol Lozano is a major doubt after he picked up an injury in their last outing. Meanwhile, Espanyol do have a boost as Jose Gragera is back fit and should be a part of this fixture.
Espanyol are expected to make quite a few changes to the XI that started in the Copa del Rey fixture when they take on Barcelona. The visitors will line up in a 4-4-2 formation, where Joan Garcia will be in goal. Omar El Hilali and Brian Olivan will feature as the full-backs. In the heart of the defence, Marash Kumbulla will pair up with Leandro Cabrera.
Alvaro Tejero and Jofre Carreras will feature in the wide areas of the midfield. They will look to support the full-backs and provide width to their attacks when possible. Alex Kral and Jose Gragera will feature in a more central role. The duo will protect the backline and look to ensure that Barcelona do not end up dominating the proceedings. Alejo Veliz should partner Javi Puado up top in attack.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Garcia; El Hilali, Kumbulla, Cabrera, Olivan; Tejero, Kral, Gragera, Carreras; Puado, Veliz
Key Stats
- Barcelona have won each of their last five games across competitions.
- Espanyol have only won one out of their last six league games.
- Hansi Flick’s team have a great head-to-head record against the away team having won 102 out of the 176 matches between the two teams.
- The Blaugrana are unbeaten in their last 26 league matches against Espanyol.
- Espanyol have managed to secure a point in two out of the last three meetings between the two teams.
Player to Watch
Raphinha
Raphinha’s name was linked with a move away from the club throughout the summer. Reports suggest that Barcelona would look to cash in on him to reinforce their squad. However, the Brazilian international has ended up staying, and he has had a phenomenal impact on the team’s performances so far.
The in-form attacker has 10 goals and nine assists in his 14 outings, and he seems to be in the form of his life. It will be hard for Espanyol to stop the 27-year-old on Sunday.
Prediction
Barcelona 3-0 Espanyol
Espanyol’s current form in La Liga has not been that great. While the visitors did return to winning ways in the Copa del Rey, they are going to find it difficult to battle it out with their local rivals, who have been on a role in the 2024/25 season. The Hard Tackle predicts an easy 3-0 win for the home team.