Barcelona will have the chance to extend their lead at the top of La Liga to nine points when they host Catalan rivals Espanyol at their temporary home Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on Sunday afternoon.
Hansi Flick's side hammered Real Madrid 4-0 in El Clasico last weekend to open up a six-point lead over second-placed Espanyol, while Espanyol, currently 17th in the table, head into the Barcelona derby following a 4-0 win over San Tirso in the Copa del Rey.
Latest Barcelona vs Espanyol squad information
Barcelona will again be without Ferran Torres, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Marc Bernal, Andreas Christensen and Ronald Araujo for this weekend's game, while Eric Garcia is a major doubt, as the defender has yet to return to training after a recent muscle problem.
The hosts have not reported any new concerns, so Flick will select the majority of the players who started against Real Madrid, but duo Frenkie de Jong and Dani Olmo have recovered and are in contention to start.
De Jong and Olmo could replace Marc Casado and Fermin Lopez, but Gavi may have to settle for a reserve role once again, as he continues his recovery from a long-term knee injury.
Lewandowski, Yamal and Raphinha are all in excellent form heading into the 2024-25 season, and the trio will continue to feature in the Catalan giants' penalty area.
For Espanyol, Veliz scored a hat-trick in the Copa del Rey clash with San Tirso on Thursday night and has put himself in contention for a starting spot here, with the No.9 likely to partner Javi Puado in the box.
Pol Lozano was forced off shortly after coming on as a substitute in the cup tie, and will now be unavailable due to a muscle problem, but Jose Gragera will return to the squad after recovering from a foot injury.
Fernando Calero and Edu Exposito are still out injured, but there will be more changes from Thursday's game, with Alex Kral, Joan Garcia and Alvaro Tejero among those returning to the squad.
Latest expected lineup Barcelona vs Espanyol
Barcelona:
Pena; Kounde, Cubarsi, I Martinez, Balde; De Jong, Pedri; Yamal, Olmo, Raphinha; Lewandowski
Espanyol:
Garcia; El Hilali, Kumbulla, Cabrera, Olivan; Tejero, Kral, Gragera, Carreras; Puado, Veliz
Latest football commentary Barcelona vs Espanyol
Barcelona will be aiming for a sixth straight win in all competitions on Sunday afternoon, and a win over their Catalan rivals would see them extend their lead at the top of the table to nine points.
Real Madrid were due to face Valencia on Saturday, but the game was postponed due to the devastating floods in Spain, so Barcelona will have the chance to create a nine-point gap over their rivals this week.
Flick's side produced an impressive display at the Bernabeu last time out, beating Real Madrid 4-0, with Robert Lewandowski (two), Lamine Yamal and Raphinha on target, a result that followed a 4-1 win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
Barcelona have won 10 and lost one of their 11 league games this season, scoring 37 goals in total, and it's hard to see that winning streak stopping, as they are favourites for their next three games before the international break against Espanyol, Red Star Belgrade and Real Sociedad, before returning to action away from home against Celta Vigo.
The 27-time Spanish champions are unbeaten in their last 26 La Liga games against Espanyol, and they have won 102 of their 176 matches against their Catalan rivals in Spain's top flight.
Lewandowski is having an impressive season, scoring 17 goals in 14 appearances, while Raphinha has 10 goals and nine assists in 14 games; Yamal has also shone again, with six goals and seven assists in 2024-25.
Although Espanyol have struggled against Barcelona in recent history, two of the last three La Liga meetings between the two sides have ended in draws, including a 1-1 draw in the first leg in the 2022-23 season.
The white and blue team returned to Spain's top flight via the Segunda Division playoffs last season, and a total of 10 points from 11 games has left them 17th in the La Liga standings.
Manolo Gonzalez's side have won three, drawn one and lost seven of their 11 La Liga games this season, while they have conceded 19 times, the third-worst defensive record in the division.
Espanyol lost 2-0 at home to Sevilla in the league last weekend, but they come into this game on the back of a 4-0 win over San Tirso in the Copa del Rey first round, with Alejo Veliz scoring a hat-trick.
It is a big ask for Gonzalez's side to face the league leaders this weekend given their form, but they have a big game against struggling Valencia next week before returning to action after the international break against Girona.
Score prediction Barcelona vs Espanyol
Based on the above football comments, we and the world's leading football sites have given the following results for the Barcelona vs Espanyol match:
- Sportsmole: Barcelona 3-0 Espanyol
- WhoScore: Barcelona 2-0 Espanyol
- Our prediction: Barcelona 3-1 Espanyol
When and where to watch Barcelona vs Espanyol live?
To watch the Barcelona vs Espanyol match live in La Liga at 10:15 p.m. on November 3, viewers can watch it on K+ Sport, K+PM or online sports channels. Wish you all have fun watching football.
Source: https://baodaknong.vn/nhan-dinh-du-doan-barcelona-vs-espanyol-khong-co-co-hoi-cho-ke-yeu-233320.html
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