Espanyol will host Barcelona at RCDE Stadium on Saturday in La Liga. Espanyol have been in strong form under Manolo Gonzalez, winning 10 of their 17 matches and sitting fifth in the table.
They’ve claimed victories in each of their last five league games, showing confidence at home. Barcelona, on the other hand, are top of La Liga with 46 points from 18 games, winning their last seven matches across all competitions.
Their attack is the best in the league, scoring 51 goals, though their defence has been a little shaky, conceding 20 times. SoftFootball reported that Barcelona will aim to extend their streak, especially after Araujo returned to training as the team rallied around him following a difficult period.
Team News
Espanyol will be without Roman Terrats (muscle) and Charles Pickel (AFCON). Javi Puado is back from a knee injury but will not start. Roberto Fernandez leads the attack with Pere Milla and Tyrhys Dolan on the wings.
Barcelona are missing Andreas Christensen and Gavi (both knee), while Dani Olmo and Pedri could return.If Pedri starts, Eric Garcia moves to defence, with Fermín López, Lamine Yamal, and Raphinha supporting Ferran Torres, while Fermín López has reaffirmed his commitment to Barcelona despite Chelsea interest.
Possible Lineups
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
Softfootball Prediction
Espanyol 1-2 Barcelona. Espanyol’s home form is solid, but Barcelona’s firepower is too strong. Expect a tight contest, but the visitors should edge the win. Barcelona already posted this match on their official X handle.
