The 12th round La Liga match between FC Barcelona and Espanyol will take place on November 3rd at the Olympic Stadium named after Luis Companys. FC Barcelona vs. Espanyol: prediction and betting, odds, statistics.
Projected lineups for the match FC Barcelona vs. Espanyol
FC Barcelona (4-2-3-1): Inaki Pena – Pau Cubarsí, Jules Kounde, Inigo Martinez, Alex Balde – Marc Casado, Pedri – Raphinha Dias, Fermin Lopez, Lamine Yamal – Robert Lewandowski.
Espanyol (4-4-2): Joan Garcia – Leandro Cabrera, Brian Olivan, Marash Kumbulla, Omar El Hilali – Alvaro Tejero, Pol Lozano, Alex Kral, Jofre Carreras – Walid Cheddira, Javi Puado.
For each team, the starting lineup from their last match in this tournament is indicated.
FC Barcelona
The Catalan club did not notice Real Madrid in the last round, thrashing their principal rival on their own field with a score of 4-0. It was their third consecutive big win in the league: before that, Hans-Dieter Flick's wards defeated Alaves away (3-0) and Sevilla at home (5-1). After 11 rounds, the team has 30 points, pulling six points ahead of Real Madrid. It is also worth noting that Barcelona has scored 37 goals – almost twice as many as the nearest pursuer in this indicator.
Defender Ronald Araujo, midfielder Marc Bernal, striker Ferran Torres, and goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen will miss the match due to injuries.
- Both teams have scored in 8 of the last 12 Catalan games in La Liga.
- At least four goals have been scored in 6 of the last 8 FC Barcelona matches in the league.
- The team has opened the scoring in 7 of the last 8 La Liga encounters.
Espanyol
The Catalans approach the derby with two consecutive losses in the league. First, Manolo Gonzalez's charges were thrashed away by Atletico (1-4), and then they lost at home to Sevilla with a score of 0-2. It should also be added that Espanyol suffered five defeats in the last six league matches (there was also a victory over Mallorca – 2:1). The club has fallen to 17th place and is now just one point ahead of the nearest relegation zone competitor.
- Both teams have scored in 6 of the last 8 Espanyol games in La Liga.
- At least three goals have been scored in 6 of the last 8 Catalan club's league matches.
- The club has not won the first half in the last seven away league matches (5 draws and 2 losses).
FC Barcelona vs. Espanyol: Match Prediction
I have no doubts about the winner of the upcoming match. The home team has a colossal advantage over their fellow townspeople in head-to-head confrontations – 19 wins and 7 draws in the last 26 league meetings. Particularly indicative are the matches of these clubs at FC Barcelona's field, where the hosts have achieved 12 victories and 1 draw in the last 13 La Liga confrontations.
The current form of the opponents also significantly differs. Hans-Dieter Flick's wards are thrashing all their rivals, while Espanyol is merely fighting for survival in La Liga. FC Barcelona is scoring more than three goals on average per match in the league, and I expect them to score at least 3 goals again. Robert Lewandowski, who has already scored 14 goals in La Liga this season, cannot be overlooked either.
My prediction is FC Barcelona Over 2.5 Goals at odds of
Villarreal
Rayo Vallecano
