FC Barcelona have a tough game against their city rivals as their last league match of the calendar year.
Form
Barcelona are in poor form compared to their usual standards. They have only won two of their last five games, and gained a total of nine points in that period. This serves as a nice microcosm for them in the league this season because they rarely lose, but have too many draws. The Blaugrana are unbeaten in the league since early October, but they have drawn three of the eight league games since then. This is too many for such a competitive league especially with Real Madrid in the current form they are in.
Espanyol are in a good run of form themselves with a total of nine games unbeaten. This has gone under to the radar due to the focus on the top teams, but it’s still an impressive run nonetheless. The Periquitos have won three of their last five games, and have picked up twelve points from seven games away from home. This suggests it has the making of an intense and fiery derby due to both teams having unbeaten records on the line.
Squads
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Going in to this match, Barcelona have no injuries to major squad players. Jérémy Mathieu and Carlos Aleñá are both out with calf and thigh injuries respectively, but they were never likely to play. Mathieu is fourth choice center-back, and Aleñá hasn’t pushed his way through to the first team yet. Espanyol, on the other hand, have a few major injuries to contend with. Two of their main goal contributors are out: Léo Baptistão and Hernán Pérez. Víctor Álvarez is also out, but he hasn’t played in the league this season.
History
The Catalan derby has a colorful history due to it determining bragging rights in the city for the winners. Recent history heavily favors Barça with nine wins and a draw in the last ten competitive fixtures. The league is little different with eight wins and two draws in the last ten games. The last time Espanyol won in this fixture was all the way back in 2009 with a 2-1 win at Camp Nou. Overall, Barcelona lead in terms of wins quite heavily because they have ninety-three compared to Espanyol’s thirty-four. In terms of goals, there has been twenty-seven in the last ten games, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see plenty of goals. Lionel Messi is top scorer in the history of this fixture with sixteen goals, so it’s likely that he will be on the scoresheet.
Playing Style
Espanyol are likely to sit back and absorb the pressure with their main attacking threat being quick counter-attacks. They will be relying on the creativity of Pablo Piatti and the finishing of Gerard Moreno in the quick transitions up the pitch. This style of play suits them, though, because they have been solid at the back recently with only one goal conceded in the last five matches. That run of matches includes a match away against Atlético Madrid who aren’t easy opponents by any means. This is completely different from the first match of the season which was a chaotic 6-4 loss to Sevilla. Therefore, this shows how much they have improved already this season under Quique Sánchez Flores. This means Barcelona have to be wary of them, and definitely have to be at their creative best. The front three should be up for the challenge, though. A win for Barça would be a nice boost for them going in to the last game against Hércules CF before the winter break.
Prediction: FC Barcelona 3-1 RCD Espanyol
Predicted Lineup
André Gomes instead of Ivan Rakitić and Samuel Umtiti instead of Javier Mascherano are possibilities.