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Barcelona could go nine points clear at the top of La Liga this weekend if they beat RCD Espanyol at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on Sunday. Hansi Flick’s side destroyed Real Madrid in El Clasico last weekend, opening up a six-point lead. The victory over Manolo Gonzalez’s men, who are 17th in the table, could extend that with Los Blancos not in action this weekend due to flash flooding in Valencia.
Barcelona are chasing their sixth consecutive win in all competitions and the opportunity is perfect with Real not moving to reduce that lead. The Blaugrana beat Carlo Ancelotti’s side 4-0, with Robert Lewandowski scoring twice, just days after beating Bayern Munich 4-1 in the UEFA Champions League.
Bear in mind that Barcelona are unbeaten in their last 26 meetings with Espanyol with 102 wins from 176 matches in La Liga and the 27-time Spanish champions are strong favourites. The visitors will be pleased with the fact that two of their last three meetings have ended in draws, but overall the head-to-head record in this match is heavily in favor of the home side.
Espanyol went to Sevilla in La Liga last time out, but beat San Tirso in the Copa del Rey in midweek to restore confidence. Gonzalez’s side have a big challenge here, but a meeting with Valencia next before the November international break should provide a chance for points, with Girona their first opponent after the break.
Here are our storylines, how to watch the match and more:
How to watch and odds
- Date: Sunday November 3 | Time: 10:15 am ET
- Location: Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys – Barcelona, Spain
- Watch: ESPN Deportes | Current: Fubo (try for free)
- Chances: Barca -1000; Sign +1000; Espanyol +2000
Story so far
Barcelona have won 10 of 11 matches in La Liga so far with 37 goals scored and will face Espanyol, Crvena Zvezda and Real Sociedad before the November internationals. Lewandowski’s stunning form continues with 17 goals, while Raphinha has 10 goals and nine assists, with Lamine Yamal contributing a further six goals and seven assists. Espanyol were promoted back to La Liga via the play-offs last year and have 10 points from 11 games, which puts them 17th in the standings. Gonzalez’s men have won three and lost seven with just one draw and their 19 goals conceded in the third-worst defensive record in the Spanish top flight.
Team news
Barca: Ferran Torres, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Marc Bernal, Andreas Christensen and Ronald Araujo are all out, while Eric Garcia is a serious doubt. Flick should be able to more or less repeat his Real selection, but Frenkie de Jong and Dani Olmo could start. The pair could replace Marc Casado and Fermin Lopez, meaning Gavi could continue his gradual return from the bench. The productive trio of Lewandowski, Yamal and Raphinha will continue to lead the attack.
Possible Barça XI: Pena; Kounde, Cubarsi, I Martinez, Balde; De Jong, Pedri; Yamal, Olmo, Raphinha; Lewandowski.
Espanyol: Alejo Veliz is in contention after a midweek treble and could play alongside Javi Puado, while Pol Lozano is expected to miss, although Jose Gragera should return after his absence. Fernando Calero and Edu Exposito remain out, but Alex Kral, Joan Garcia and Alvaro Tejero should be reinstated after a midweek rotation.
Possible Espanyol XI: García; El Hilali, Kumbulla, Cabrera, Olivan; Tejero, Kral, Gragera, Carreras; Puado, Veliz.
Prediction
This one should be easy enough for Barcelona, with Espanyol unlikely to put up any real resistance given how impressive Flick’s men have been so far. As the odds suggest, even a draw would be impressive for the visitors, so expect a two-goal winning margin for the Blaugrana. Choose: Barca 3, Espanyol 1.