Barcelona host city rivals Espanyol in the Catalan derby, with the league leaders aiming to continue their perfect home record in La Liga.
Prediction: Over 2.5 Goals
Barcelona’s dominant home form and Espanyol’s struggles suggest a match with multiple goals.
Barcelona strengthened their position at the top of La Liga after extending their lead to seven points following Real Madrid’s slip in the previous round. Despite the midweek Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid, the Catalan giants remain dominant domestically, winning six consecutive league matches. At home, Barcelona have been flawless this season, recording 15 wins from 15 matches, underlining their superiority at the Olympic Stadium.
Espanyol, meanwhile, secured a goalless draw against Betis in the last round, their first clean sheet of 2026. However, their overall form this year remains disappointing, with no victories so far. The historical record also favors Barcelona heavily, as Espanyol have not beaten their city rivals in La Liga since 2009. With Barcelona pushing for another convincing win and Espanyol likely forced to defend deep, the hosts should create numerous scoring opportunities.
