A dramatic 4-3 victory over Real Madrid in round 35 helped Barcelona reach the 2024-2025 La Liga championship.
If they win all 3 points in the next match, coach Hansi Flick's team will be crowned champion 2 rounds early.
That is the motivation for Barcelona to play with the highest determination in the Catalan derby against Espanyol.
After overcoming the unfortunate defeat in the Champions League against Inter Milan, the Blaugrana are having a very good run of form in La Liga. They are unbeaten in 16 consecutive matches, including 14 wins.
With 95 goals, Barcelona is currently the strongest attack in the league, far behind the team behind Real Madrid with 23 goals (before round 36).
With their current form, no team in La Liga can stop the Catalan giants if they play at their best.
Barca's next opponent is the team from the same city Espanyol. In contrast to Blaugrana's excellent form, Espanyol are playing very poorly, having lost 3 consecutive matches.
Although playing at home, the chance for Espanyol to stop Barcelona is very low. They are inferior to their opponents in every aspect, from form, strength to determination.
Espanyol are still unsafe in the relegation race. They are currently ranked 4th and only 5 points above the relegation zone. The 2-3 defeat to Leganes in the last round of 35 was their third consecutive loss. This is a fierce signal as they are trying to prevent Barcelona from winning the championship.
The upcoming match could be a walk in the park for Flick and his students. Without needing the strongest squad, Barca still has the strength to win all 3 points against Espanyol and become the new king of La Liga.
Dani Olmo scored twice to help Barcelona win 3-1 in the first leg between the two teams last November. Raphinha was the remaining player to score for Barca, while Javi Puado scored a consolation goal for the away team.
Personnel situation
Espanyol have no new injury concerns. Pol Lozano is likely to be absent due to fitness issues. However, Omar El Hilal is now available to play and start.
On the other side of the front line, Inigo Martinez is suspended, but Alejandro Balde will return to the starting lineup. Ferran Torres is in good form but seems unable to play due to excess intestinal inflammation.
Expected lineup:
Espanyol: Garcia, El Hilal, Cabrera, Kumbulla, Romero, Gonzalez, Kral, Exposito, Puado, Fernandez, Jofre.
Barcelona: Szczesny, Garcia, Cubarsi, Araujo, Balde, De Jong, Pedri, Yamal, Olmo, Raphinha, Lewandowski.
The match between Espanyol and Barcelona takes place at 2:30 am on May 16 (Vietnam time).
