Barcelona will play in a 1-4-2-3-1 formation

The Camp Nou giants claimed all three “Spanish” trophies last season. But this winter, they managed to defend only the Super Cup title—losing to Atletico in the Copa del Rey semifinals with scores of 0-4 and 3-0. However, in La Liga, they have managed to maintain a lead over Real Madrid. Against Atletico, they managed to win amid controversy, further increasing their advantage. But this week, facing the same opponent in the Champions League, they lost 0-2 while playing with a man down.

Their closest neighbor, after a year in the Segunda, returned and, collecting 42 points, finished fourteenth last spring. In the new season, things went well in 2025, and it seemed they could even fight for a top-five spot in La Liga. But after the winter break, they completely stopped winning! Against Betis, they recorded a goalless draw already in April.

The Spanish champion currently scores an average of 2.67 goals, conceding just 0.97. The other Catalan club averages 1.20 goals scored per match, but concedes 1.47.

Previous Matches: Barcelona vs Espanyol

Yamal and company have won all four recent derbies, including the one in January.

This is the kind of opponent Barcelona should beat confidently at home. The recommended bet is on the hosts with a -1.5 goal handicap (odds – 1.68).

Barcelona vs Espanyol: Key Stats and Trends
Barcelona have won eight of their last ten matches
60% of Barcelona’s matches end with both teams scoring and the average total goals per match is 3.63
Espanyol are winless in 2026
60% of Espanyol’s matches end with both teams scoring and the average total goals per match is 2.67
Barcelona vs Espanyol: Probable Starting Lineups
Barcelona play in a 1-4-2-3-1 formation (probable lineup): Garcia – Cancelo, Martin, Cubarsi, Araujo – Pedri, Bernal – Rashford, Lopez, Yamal – Lewandowski. Raphinha, De Jong, and Christensen are out injured.

Espanyol play in a 1-4-4-1-1 formation (probable lineup): Dmitrovic – Romero, Cabrera, Riedl, El-Hilali – Terrats, Dolan, Exposito, Gonzalez – Ngonge – Garcia. Puado is sidelined due to injury.