This week brings to us the prospect of a fiercely contested local derby, when Barcelona visit Espanyol, hoping to keep piling on the pressure on Real Madrid, who face Valencia, in a bid to reclaim the top spot of the Spanish La Liga. Espanyol do not have much to lose in this match, except pride in the Catalan derby, therefore would want to put in a strong showing, and hopefully, put a dent in the title challenge of the Blaugranas. However, Barcelona is a team that has world class players in every section of the field, be it attack, defense, or midfield. They have one of the most potent attacks in the world, referred to as the MSN (Messi, Suarez, Neymar), as the South American trio always look to strike fear into the heart of the opposing defenses.
RCD ESPANYOL Vs FC BARCELONA
3-Way: 1: RCD Espanyol +1504; X: +710 Draw; FC Barcelona -455
Spread +1.5: RCD Espanyol +156; Barcelona FC -167
Total +3.5: Over +102; Under -105
RCD ESPANYOL
The RCD Espanyol is having a fairly good season in the Spanish La Liga, in comparison of the previous league finishes. They have already amassed more points this year, than they had in each of the last three seasons, with a few more games still to be played this season. They sit at the 9th position, with a mid-table finish looking the most likely, as they are not realistically in the reaches of a European finish, nor will they drop towards the bottom end, based on their performances.
They have collected total of 50 points this season, with 29 of them coming at home. Their current form reading, for the last 6 games, is 3-1-2, with their home record for the last 6 games being, 4-0-2. They have failed to win in the last two matches of the Spanish La Liga, with the score lines being a 1:0 loss against Atletico Madrid, followed by a 1:1 draw against Sporting Gijon.
They are a team, that doesn’t really rely on attacks to win games, as they do not possess a very strong strike force. They have scored 45 goals this season, with 28 of those goals coming in front of the home crowd. Their defense has conceded a total of 44 goals, with 20 of them being conceded in home games. Therefore, they have a total goal difference of +1. A 1:1 win, and a 2:0 loss, are the most common results for the club.
The two top scorers for the Espanyol team are Gerrardo Moreno with 12 goals (8th highest in the league), and Pablo Piatti, with 10 goals. Pablo Piatti also has 9 assists in the league which is the 4th highest in the league, first being Barca’s Luis Suarez with 12. Moreover, goalkeeper Diego Lopez has managed to keep 11 clean sheets, which is again the 4th highest number of clean sheets in the league.
Espanyol do have some concerns from the medical room. Centre back Oscar Duarte has been ruled out until next seasons with a cruciate ligament Rupture. Apart from him, they will miss the services of Salva Sevilla(knee), Alvaro Vazquez(muscular), and Hernan Perez due to injuries.
They will also miss their top scorer Gerrardo Moreno, who is suspended due to accumulation of five yellow cards.
FC BARCELONA
The third and final season under manager Luis Enrique hasn’t been a disappointing one, but compared to the first one, it has definitely been a difficult one. They were knocked out of the Champions league, by Juventus, and even though they are on top of the Spanish La liga table, level on 78 points with Real Madrid having played a game more than Los Blancos, there has been times where they did not possess the swagger that is usually associated with Barcelona. They still are in the hunt for the Spanish La liga, as they try to give their manager a winning send off.
After 34 games, Barca occupy the top spot of the Spanish La liga, with Real Madrid just below them, level on points, having played a game less than the Blaugrana. Of their 78 points this season, 42 have been won at Camp Nou. They are a team that has ruthless scorers like Neymar, Suarez, along with the Magician Messi in their ranks. They have scored a massive 101 goals in the Spanish La liga, the most by any team this season, out of which 56 have been scored in home games. They have the 3rd best defense in the league, with 33 goals conceded, keeping 11 clean sheets in the process. They have an overall goal difference of +68.
They have been in good form in recent Spanish La liga outings, having triumphed 3:2 over Real Madrid in the El classico last weekend courtesy a Messi late goal, followed by a 7:1 thumping of Osasuna in the mid-week. Their overall league records in the last 6 games has been 5-0-1, while their record, at home is very good (6-0-0). Their only defeat in the last six games of the Spanish La liga came when they visited Malaga, where the Catalans were defeated 2-0.
There are a few concerns for Barcelona, when it comes to injuries. Right back Aleix Vidal, has been ruled out for the rest of the season because of a malleolar injury. Along with him, Barca will also miss the services of Rafinha, who is also ruled out for the rest of the seaon, with a meniscus injury, while Mathieu has probably suffered a season ending Achilles tendon injury.
They will also miss Croatian Midfielder Ivan Rakitic, who will be suspended due to over accumulation of Yellow cards. Perhaps the most positive news will be the return of Brazilian Attacker Neymar, after he was given a three match ban after sarcastically clapping for an official, at Malaga.
MY PREDICTION
This match promises to be a potentially fierce derby, with pride a massive factor for the local fans of both the teams. Espanyol are a decent outfit, and they can cause Barca a few problems if they maintain their concentration and stick to their game plan. However, Lucho’s men are winners. They will be mentally, and physically alert and active to play their best game possible, because they will need to win all their remaining matches, assuming Real Madrid also keeps gaining points, to have any shot at the title.
Therefore, I am expecting Barcelona to win this game, with the South American trio of Messi, Suarez, and Neymar causing havoc in the Espanyol defense, just like they did in the 4:1 victory in the reverse fixture earlier this season.
Therefore my pick will be Barcelona winning by two or more goals, with Espanyol also scoring at least 1 against the visitors.
MY PICK: Over 3.5 goals (+102)
Additional Pick: Both teams to score YES (+104)
