Blaugrana are currently occupying top spot in the Spanish top flight standings, having collected 37 points from 14 games, while Espanyol occupy 16th position, with 12 points to their name
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Barcelona will resume their La Liga campaig, when they host Espanyol in the Barcelona derby on Saturday afternoon. Blaugrana are currently occupying top spot in the Spanish top flight standings, having collected 37 points from 14 games, two points clear of second-placed Real Madird, while Espanyol occupy 16th position, with 12 points to their name, just one point above the relegation zone. Barcelona’s last game against Osasuna, last month, ended in a 2-1 win, while the Parakeets are heading into the match on the back of a narrow 1-0 win over Atletico Paso in a Copa del Rey second round fixture, on December 21.
Barcelona have won 12, drawn one and lost one of their 14 league games this season. Xavi’s side are in stunning form having scored 33 goals in the Spanish top tier this term, which is joint-most alongside arch rivals Real Madrid, while they have the best defensive record with just five conceded. In their last game against Osasuna, second half goals from Pedri and Raphinha helped the Blaugrana take all three points at El Sadar. It was their fifth successive league-win, conceding just one during that run.
Meanwhile, Espanyol’s last league-fixture against Villarreal on November 9, ended in a narrow 1-0 defeat courtesy of Benjamin Lecomte’s own goal. The White and Blues have not been victories in Spain’s top flight since a 1-0 win over Real Valladolid in the middle of October. In their last outing against Atletico Paso, Nico Melamed’s 80th-minute strike helped Diego Martinez’ side enter the round of 32 stage of Copa del Rey. Espanyol have only won twice in the league this term, which is joint-second record in terms of victories behind Elche.
💙❤️ 𝐯𝐬 🔵⚪ pic.twitter.com/gVaebuV7oN
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) December 30, 2022
Barcelona forward Robert Lewandowski will be available for Saturday’s game as the club was successful in putting a temporary hold on his three-game suspension. Therefore, the Polish striker would start alongside Raphinha and Ousmane Dembele in the three-man attack. Spanish midfielder Gavi might miss the game, allowing Frenkie de Jong to join Pedri and Sergio Busquets in the engine room. Meanwhile, Ronald Araujo, Franck Kessi and Sergi Roberto are sidelined with injuries. As for Espanyol, midfielder Keidi Bare is nursing an ankle ligament injury, while Adria Pedroso is doubtful because of hernia.
Barcelona probable starting lineup: Ter Stegen, Balde, Kounde, E Garcia, Alonso, Pedri, Busquets, De Jong, Raphinha, Lewadowski, Dembele
Espanyol probable starting lineup: Lecomte, Gil, Cabrera, Calero, Olivan, Melamed, Souza, Braithwait, Darder, Puado, Joselu
Barcelona
| Opponents | Score |
| Osasuna | 1-2 (W) |
| Almeria | 2-1 (W) |
| Viktoria Plzen | 2-4 (W) |
| Valencia | 0-1 (W) |
| Bayern Munich | 0-3 (L) |
Espanyol
| Opponents | Score |
| Atletico Paso | 0-1 (W) |
| KV Mechelen | 1-1 (D) |
| Torino | 0-1 (L) |
| Rincon | 0-3 (W) |
| Villarreal | 0-1 (L) |
| Last 5 match-results | Score |
| Espanyol draw Barcelona | 2-2 |
| Barcelona beat Espanyol | 1-0 |
| Barcelona beat Espanyol | 1-0 |
| Espanyol draw Barcelona | 2-2 |
| Barcelona beat Espanyol | 2-0 |
The La Liga match between Barcelona and Espanyol will take place at Camp Nou on Saturday at 6:30 pm IST.
| Barcelona vs Espanyol | key Details |
| Date | December 31 |
| Venue | Camp Nou |
| Kickoff time in Spain | 2:00 pm |
| Kickoff time in India | 6:30 pm |
For Fans in India live telecast of the La Liga matches will be available on Sport 18 network. Meanwhile those in Spain can catch the live action on Movistar + network.
