Espanyol v Barcelona Match Preview
Barcelona games with local rivals Espanyol have tended to be a foregone conclusion, but Hansi Flick knows they cannot afford to approach Saturday’s derby as such.
Flick’s men return from their winter break top of LaLiga and four points clear of arch rivals Real Madrid.
But they have a difficult assignment for their first game of 2026, with a visit to Espanyol representing a trickier proposition than in years gone by.
Manolo Gonzalez’s side are fifth in the table after winning their last five league games while conceding just two goals. They trail fourth-placed Villarreal by just two points.
It is a little under 19 years since Barca last lost to Espanyol in the league away from home, but Flick is keen to ensure his side takes nothing for granted against their in-form neighbours.
“I’d like to congratulate Manolo” he said. “He’s doing an incredible job. It’s a team that presses very well and makes excellent transitions.
“They’ve won five games in a row. We’ll have to play at our highest level, stay calm and play our best football. We have enough quality to take the win.”
Barca goalkeeper Joan Garcia’s return to his former club adds extra spice to the fixture, though that is of little concern to Manolo.
“I don’t care, I don’t care about the issue,” he said. “I care about winning. I don’t really care about the Joan García issue.
“It’s a great sporting rivalry, and the funny thing is that I have lots of friends who support Barca and we joke around with each other.
“Tomorrow will be a great derby. We want to beat Barca, and so do they.”
Team news for Espanyol v Barcelona
Ramon Terrats (thigh) remains out for Espanyol, while Charles Pickel is still at the AFCON with DR Congo.
Ronaldo Araujo is back in the Barcelona squad after he took time away from the team to care for his mental health.
Andreas Christensen (knee) and Gavi (knee) are still sidelined. However, Dani Olmo (shoulder) is set to make his return and could be joined by Pedri (muscle) in doing so.
Predicted line-ups for Espanyol v Barcelona
Espanyol: Dmitrovic; El Hilali, Calero, Cabrera, Romero; Gonzalez, Edu, Lozano; Dolan, Fernandez, Milla
Barcelona: J Garcia; Kounde, Cubarsi, E Garcia, Balde; Pedri, De Jong; Yamal, Fermin, Raphinha; F Torres
Stats for Espanyol v Barcelona
- Barcelona and Espanyol have met 74 times, with the Blaugrana winning 47 of those games.
- Espanyol have beaten their local rivals just seven times, with 20 of meetings ending in draws.
- Espanyol have not defeated Barca in LaLiga since a 2-1 win at Camp Nou in February 2009. Their last home league win over their neighbours came in January 2007.
- Only Thibaut Courtois (eight) has kept more clean sheets than Espanyol goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic (seven) in LaLiga this season. Barca’s Joan Garcia has six.
- Espanyol have the fourth-best defensive record in the division, having only conceded 17 goals.
- Yet they are facing a Barca team whose 51 goals are 15 more than nearest challengers Real Madrid.