The Round 18 La Liga match between Espanyol and Barcelona will take place on january 3 at the Cornellà-El Prat stadium. Espanyol vs Barcelona: prediction, betting odds and statistics.
Espanyol
In the last round Espanyol pulled off yet another upset in the current La Liga campaign. Despite being considered clear underdogs, Espanyol beat Athletic away (2:1). The home side's winning run in the Spanish championship has reached five matches, the club's best run since the 1998/99 season. Over those five games the hosts have conceded only two goals in total, a tally bettered only by Celta (1). Ahead of the derby with Barcelona Espanyol remains fifth in the table and, remarkably, is close to the Champions League zone — just two points behind Villarreal.
- The Catalans scored in 9 of their last 10 La Liga matches.
- At least two goals were scored in 9 of Espanyol’s last 12 league games.
- The club’s uncompromising run in this competition spans 10 matches (7 wins, 3 losses).
Potential Espanyol Lineup (4-2-3-1)*
Marco Dmitrović – Fernando Calero, Leandro Cabrera, Carlos Romero, Omar El Hilali – Urko González, Pol Lozano – Pere Milla, Edu Expósito, Tayris Dolan – Roberto Fernández Jaén.
Midfielder Charles Pickel is appearing for his national team at the Africa Cup of Nations. Midfielder Ramon Terrats is unavailable due to injury. Captain Javi Puado’s participation in the match is doubtful.
Barcelona
Barcelona also finished 2025 in excellent spirits. Before the break Barcelona passed a serious test by taking three points away at a strong Villarreal (2:0), a side that had been steady in La Liga. That victory was the club’s eighth in a row in the Spanish championship. The visitors still top the table and lead Real Madrid by four points. Notably, Hans Flick’s side kept a clean sheet for the second La Liga match in a row, having previously recorded only one shutout in their previous 11 matches in this competition. Even more impressive, Barcelona’s scoring run in La Liga stretches to 38 games — a feat not achieved by the club since 2013.
- This season the Catalans have scored 51 goals in total, by some distance the highest figure in the competition.
- Barcelona’s uncompromising run in the championship continues for 15 matches (13 wins, 2 losses).
- Both teams scored in 7 of the club’s last 8 away matches in La Liga.
Potential Barcelona Lineup (4-2-3-1)*
Joan García – Jules Koundé, Pau Cubarsí, Gerard Martin, Alex Balde – Frenkie de Jong, Eric García – Fermin López, Lamine Yamal, Rafinha Dias – Ferran Torres.
Defender Andreas Christensen, as well as midfielders Dani Olmo and Gavi, are unavailable due to injuries. Midfielder Pedri could return to the squad. Defender Ronald Araujo has returned to training, but his participation in the match is doubtful.
Espanyol vs Barcelona: Match Prediction
Espanyol continues to surprise with high-quality, consistent performances, which justifiably place the club among the top five. However, the home side now faces its main rival, historically one of the most uncomfortable opponents. Espanyol’s last La Liga derby victory over Barcelona dates back to 2009; since then the hosts have failed to win in 28 head-to-head meetings (7 draws, 21 defeats). In the last 10 encounters in this rivalry the club took at least one point on only three occasions.
Barcelona are ready to further strengthen their edge in head-to-head meetings. Before visiting their fierce opponent Hans Flick’s charges have won eight consecutive league matches. In every match during that run the visitors scored at least two goals. The club has not dropped points in La Liga since October, and even on the road Barcelona have secured three straight wins in this competition.
Most likely the visitors will once again overcome their neighbours.
Prediction: Barcelona To Win
* For each team the starting lineup shown is from its previous match in this tournament.
