The first match of the year 2026 will be special for both Espanyol and FC Barcelona, as we have a Catalan derby. Joan Garcia will play against his former league, from which FC Barcelona purchased him. The date for the match is the 3rd of January 2026. Basically, the match will kick off at 9 PM local time, whereas it will be 1:30 AM (4th January) as per Indian Standard Time. Espanyol’s home RCDE Stadium is the venue for the match. What are your Espanyol vs FC Barcelona Predictions?
FC Barcelona is currently first on the La Liga table as they went into the winter break with a four-point lead, and they look unstoppable, and took complete advantage as Real Madrid dropped points. Barcelona currently has 46 points in 18 matches. At the same time, Espanyol are also a team in form as they are in fifth place with 33 points.
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Espanyol vs FC Barcelona Predictions and Preview
FC Barcelona will want to start the new year on a winning note and will continue to keep the gap between them and Real Madrid. Their last match in La Liga was against Villarreal, as they were in trouble at times, but Villarreal lacked finishing. Eventually, Barcelona won the match 2-0. On the other hand, Espanyol played their last match against Athletic Club away from home. They secured a 2-1 win with Romero and Milla scoring the goals for Espanyol.
Both teams are looking in great form as FC Barcelona and Espanyol are both unbeaten in their last five matches in La Liga. Espanyol are very strong defensively as they have just conceded two goals in their last five matches. At the same time, FC Barcelona have scored 15 goals in their last five matches. Currently, Barcelona has scored the most goals in La Liga. Our Espanyol vs FC Barcelona Predictions are Espanyol to create an upset by winning.
Scorline Prediction: Espanyol 2-1 FC Barcelona
Team news & Playing XI
Neither team has many players missing as they have a strong squad coming into this match. FC Barcelona will be without Gavi and Christensen. Dani Olmo and Pedri are most likely to return from injuries. On the other hand, when we look at Espanyol, Roman Terrats will be a miss due to an injury, and Charles Pickel will miss the match as he is with DR Congo playing the AFCON. The rest of the players are fine for both teams.
FC Barcelona expected XI:
Goalkeeper: Joan Garcia
Defenders: Balde, Martin, Cubarsi, and Kounde
Midfielders: Pedri, Frenkie de Jong, Eric Garcia, and Fermin
Forwards: Yamal, Lewandowski, and Raphinha
Espanyol expected XI:
Goalkeeper: Dmitrovic
Defenders: El Hilali, Calero, Cabrera, and Romero
Midfielders: Gonzalez, Lozano, and Exposito
Forwards: Dolan, Fernandez, and Puado
