Derbi Barceloni: A Classic That Will Surely Excite La Liga Fans

RCD Espanyol vs FC Barcelona

The coming game week doesn’t have much to offer when it comes to compelling games as most of the clubs at the top of La Liga won’t be playing compelling opposition. However, there is one match that easily grabs the attention of passionate fans of Spanish football.

Barcelona will make the short trip from Camp Nou to the RCDE Stadium to face Espanyol for the Derbi Barceloni. This derby, which has been ongoing for almost 90 years, will surely feature some of the best football we will see for the week. Goals will be expected out of Barcelona, of course, but that doesn’t mean that Espanyol will let their local rivals get the best of them without putting up a big fight.

Whether you support the hosts or the visitors, you know that plenty of Espanyol vs Barcelona predictions are tilted in favour of the Blaugrana, but the possibility of an upset is what makes football such a dramatic and compelling sporting event to follow.

Join us as we dissect the La Liga 2018 news regarding this match.

Talking Points

Barcelona’s woes and foes at the top

Lionel Messi has been involved in most of Barcelona's victories in La Liga — Lionel Messi looks on during the La Liga match between FC Barcelona and Betis

Barcelona are still the top dogs of the Spanish top flight, but the current look of the table doesn’t paint the league leaders as the dominant football savants we know they could become. If we consider their current situation in the league, I think we can safely say that Barca have the biggest pressure coming into the match.

They easily won against Villareal thanks to a starting XI that was a combination of youth and experience. They saw Gerard Pique and Carles Aleña score goals against a pesky Villareal backline. However, not everything has been as smooth-sailing as they have hoped.

They are only one point ahead of Sevilla, two points off Atletico Madrid, and three ahead of overachievers Deportivo Alaves on the table. Ernesto Valverde’s squad endured uncharacteristic defeats to Real Betis and Leganes. Moreover, their four draws — one of which was a narrow battle against Atletico Madrid at the Wanda Metropolitano — have also not given the club as much as breathing room as they would have liked.

However, a team that has Lionel Messi in it would always be strong. ESPN FC named eleven Barca players as some of the world’s best footballers, and Messi still stands out as the world’s best forward. The fact that Messi still stands out amongst the many impressive players in world football is a very commendable accomplishment.

Also, the small issue of him not winning the Ballon d’Or might see him playing more fiercely to end the year.

Nowhere to go but up for Espanyol

Espanyol aren’t in as much of a desperate situation as Villareal are. They are seventh in the league and are with a number of solid wins against their peers. However, their recent performances could see them sink outside of the top spot and into the mid-table.

The biggest thing many of the Periquitos supporters worry about is the recent losing streak the club is on. They lost three of their last league games against Getafe, Girona, and Sevilla. All of these teams are in the upper half of the table, and their failure to get any positive result from these games put them at risk of dropping off the top ten.

However, it wasn’t like everything is gloomy at the RCDE Stadium. Head coach Rubi is confident that Espanyol can keep up with Barca if they played their game as they did in their narrow losses to Getafe and Girona.

Moreover, they have a very efficient scorer in Borja Iglesias. The 25-year-old is the fifth-highest scorer in La Liga, just behind Barcelona’s Messi and Luis Suarez. As long as they set him up with a precise pass in front of goal, it’s very possible that they will be able to get points on the board and break their league rut.

History

Barcelona will be coming to this game in red-hot form. They won their last three games in all competitions in usual Barca fashion. They won a tough away match against PSV as their Champions League group stage winds down. They then hammered Villareal in the League and took Cultural Leonesa to the laundry basket after dragging them through the mud in the Copa del Rey duel.

Meanwhile, Espanyol managed to break their losing streak after winning against Cadiz in the Copa del Rey. However, the result still doesn’t ensure that they will be able to fend off Barcelona without going through an intense battle.

They have played 168 league games through their long history together, and Barcelona won 97 of those. Espanyol won 34 of those, and 37 draws were made. However, the last couple of games between the two have been pretty close. Espanyol managed a draw in their last league game and defended their home leg in the Copa against Barca.

If we try to predict this game based on history alone, it’s likely that Barca will go home with the three points. However, it’s likely that we will see a dog fight break out between the two.

Betting Tip

	RCD Espanyol vs FC Barcelona	Total Goals 2-3 @ 2.07
	December 9, 03:45 (GMT+8)

There’s pretty much no question that Barcelona are the biggest favourites in the SBOBET La Liga 2018 market. With the quality of players they have on their payroll, it’s not hard to see why they have 1X2 odds of 1.54.

However, Espanyol have always stepped up when it comes to playing their Catalonian neighbours. I am pretty sure that both teams will grind their behinds to get a result, and a draw is not out of the picture here.

If you sincerely believe in a Barcelona win, going for Barcelona -1.25 @ 2.19 in the Asian Handicap market is not a bad idea. RCD Espanyol believers can get 2.04 if they bet on the +1.00 boost in the same market.