Clear result in the Barcelona city derby?
FC Barcelona are on cloud nine. Two more than convincing wins against Real Madrid and FC Bayern Munich have given the Catalans great confidence that a great deal is possible this season under Hansi Flick – and not only in La Liga, where the league leaders already have a comfortable lead over arch-rivals Real Madrid after eleven matchdays. Will the Barcelona vs. Espanyol Barcelona tip be confirmed as the favorite’s triumph?
This lead is now to be expanded on matchday 12. Barça does not want to rest on the intoxicating triumph in the Clasico; the next prestigious duel is coming up on Sunday afternoon, in which three points are the clear goal: The city derby against Espanyol. You could almost think that it is not a league game, but a cup duel between a first division club and a lower division club, if you see the odds at FC Barcelona vs. Rarely has Barça’s role as favorites been greater in recent years.
The Blaugrana have earned this through strong performances, so the betting providers with the best betting apps expect it to be a very clear-cut game. But will Barça really win the next game by a landslide, or can Espanyol do something about it in the derby? In this preview of the game, we look at the form of both clubs and the direct comparison, pick out exciting betting tips and give our personal Barcelona v Espanyol Barcelona prediction.
Barcelona – Statistics & current form
Is Barcelona currently the best team in Europe? The numbers at least speak for themselves. In Europe’s top five leagues, Hansi Flick’s team has the most wins, the most points and the most goals. They also lead the statistics for most shots and the highest expected goals value (xG).
The Catalan machine is running at full speed. Last week was a dream week for all Blaugrana supporters, with comfortable wins against two top teams and rivals against whom Barcelona have often looked poor of late. The 4-1 win against Bayern Munich in the Champions League was followed by a 4-0 triumph in the Clásico at the Santiago Bernabeu, home of arch-rivals Real Madrid.
FC Barcelona’s forward trio of Raphinha, Lewandowski and Yamal in top form
The Catalan sports press is particularly excited about the way Barcelona played and won. The trio of Raphinha, Lewandowski and Yamal caused headaches for opposing defenses, and all three are in top form and scored again at the Bernabeu. The Barça strike trio also leads the scoring charts in Spain, with Lewandowski at the top with 16 goal contributions (14 goals, 2 assists), followed by Raphinha (6 goals, 6 assists) and Yamal (5 goals, 6 assists).
The top betting providers also expect the “Derbi Barceloni” to be a clear-cut affair, because the Barcelona vs. Espanyol Barcelona tip on the handicap home win only comes with a 1.35. If Barça wins by three goals, it also “only” comes with a 1.80. So will the next big win follow? The last five results of Flick’s team were 5:0, 3:0, 5:1, 4:1 and 4:0.
Espanyol Barcelona – Statistics & current form
There is not much to suggest that Espanyol will be able to get anything out of the game at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on Montjuic. Not only because Barcelona are in impressive form and condition.
Espanyol themselves are still searching for their form, having lost five of their last six games. They have lost to Real Madrid, Villarreal, Betis, Athletic Bilbao and Sevilla, with a narrow 2-1 home win over Mallorca in early October in between. With three wins and ten points, the start of the season after their return to the top flight has been reasonably successful, with Espanyol currently one point above the relegation places.
Espanyol extremely weak away from home: little hope ahead of Barcelona’s city derby
All three wins this season, however, were secured at home. There has been very little to celebrate away from home so far. Strictly speaking, only two goals and one point. No team scores fewer goals and has fewer points on the road. Espanyol are La Liga’s weakest away team. That, to say the least, offers little hope ahead of the difficult away game at hot FC Barcelona.
No wonder, then, that the Barcelona v Espanyol Barcelona betting odds are as high as 22.00 on the away win, with the Betano new customer bonus, the brave can even risk these cup-like odds risk-free. But whether that is also recommended is, of course, up to each person.
Barcelona – Espanyol Barcelona Head to Head Comparison
The latest look at the direct comparison also gives little cause for optimism from the Pericos’ point of view: Barça have won four of their last five home games against Espanyol. However, the last draw ended in a 1-1 draw in December 2022. In fact, four of the last ten city derbies ended in draws. For those who like to bet on surprises, the FC Barcelona vs. Espanyol Barcelona tip offers odds of 11.00 on the draw.
Nevertheless, the overall record of this traditional derby is clear. The “Derbi Barceloni” has been played 216 times, with Barça winning 126 of them. 44 wins for Espanyol and 46 draws.
Barcelona – Espanyol Barcelona Tip
Is FC Barcelona picking up where they left off? Rousing, confident football, a forward trio in top form, a strong chance conversion and lots of goals: things are currently going swimmingly under Hansi Flick. Espanyol could or should be the victim of this top form on Sunday.
Because there is extremely little to speak for the Pericos, even though they fulfilled their Copa del Rey obligation on Thursday by beating the lower-division amateur club SD San Tirso 4-0. Barça are in such great form that a slip is inconceivable given the current situation.
We expect another clear-cut result or at least a comfortable victory. After all, Barça can’t score four or five goals every week. Since Espanyol have been ineffective in attack away from home, we are predicting a Barcelona vs. Espanyol Barcelona victory without conceding a goal.
