Espanyol vs Barcelona: La Liga Preview

For the hosts, a five-point cushion above the relegation zone offers some breathing room, but their recent form has been far from convincing. Espanyol have picked up just one point from their last four matches since edging past Getafe in mid-April. A spirited attempt at a comeback ultimately fell short in Saturday’s 3-2 loss to Leganes, compounding a run that also includes defeats to Villarreal and Real Betis.

Manolo González’s side will, however, be encouraged by their recent home record, having lost just once in their last 11 league outings at the RCDE Stadium (W4, D6). That said, their most recent game on home soil ended in a 2-1 defeat to Betis. Historically, Espanyol have struggled in this fixture, failing to beat Barcelona in La Liga since a 2-1 win at Camp Nou back in February 2009. Their record in league derbies has been bleak, with no wins in their last 27 meetings (D7, L20), including a 3-1 loss in the reverse fixture earlier this season.

Barcelona, meanwhile, are on the brink of clinching their 28th La Liga title. Sunday’s pulsating 4-3 El Clasico victory over Real Madrid took them to within touching distance of the crown. The Catalan giants showed resilience after falling two goals behind early, with a quickfire response from Eric Garcia and Lamine Yamal, followed by a Raphinha brace that turned the game in their favour by half-time. Although Kylian Mbappe completed his hat-trick to reduce the deficit, Hansi Flick’s men held on to claim all three points and keep their title charge on track.

With 95 goals scored in 35 matches, Barcelona are also closing in on the 100-goal mark for the season. They have won 14 of their last 15 league games and are currently on a five-match winning run away from home. Victory in this derby would not only seal the title with two games to spare but also complete a domestic treble, following their Copa del Rey and Supercopa triumphs.

In terms of team availability, Espanyol remain without Brian Olivan due to a calf injury, but Pol Lozano is back in contention after returning to training. Omar El Hilali is expected to return from suspension and Javi Puado will continue to be a key figure in attack, having contributed 11 goals and three assists this season.

For Barcelona, Ferran Torres has been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign following appendicitis surgery. Marc Bernal and Jules Koundé are sidelined with longer-term injuries, while Pablo Torre remains a doubt. Inigo Martinez is suspended, meaning Ronald Araujo or Andreas Christensen is likely to start in central defence. Robert Lewandowski, rested at the weekend, is expected to return to the starting XI, and Alejandro Balde is pushing for more minutes after featuring off the bench in El Clasico.

With title glory in reach for Barcelona and La Liga survival still on the line for Espanyol, Thursday’s derby promises to be a tense and high-stakes affair in the Catalan capital.