"Recent years have seen Barcelona take down Espanyol with relative ease, once sending them to relegation and then winning the league title on their grass. The competition this time, however, will be far tighter. Espanyol are on a good run of form this season and hit the halfway mark in La Liga in fifth place on the standings. They have won ten of their 17 games, drawn three, and lost just four - and will be eager to take down their sworn rivals on Saturday night."
"While the world of football does not usually run on the concept of calendar years, Barcelona will fondly remember 2025 for a long time to come. It is true that the 2024-25 season, as a whole, was a positive one for the Catalans as they made their presence known once again as a potent threat. They won the domestic treble and were within minutes of reaching the UEFA Champions League final. A big part of those positives, however, came in 2025, and one remembers how 2024 ended with the team on a downward spiral. Winning the Spanish Super Cup in January 2025 came as a massive boost to the team's morale and belief, and the positive effect rippled into their performances in the league."
Barcelona open 2026 with an away Catalan derby at Espanyol, a fixture expected to be high-intensity and visually entertaining. Espanyol arrive in strong form, sitting fifth at the halfway point with ten wins, three draws and four losses, and will be highly motivated to beat their rivals. Barcelona enjoyed a stellar 2025, capturing the domestic treble, nearly reaching the Champions League final and gaining momentum after winning the Spanish Super Cup in January 2025. The match offers Barcelona a chance to restart positively, restore synergy, and reproduce the morale boost that propelled their title run, while facing stiffer competition than in past derbies.
Read at Barca Universal
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