Barcelona are just one win away from clinching the La Liga title as they travel to Catalan rivals Espanyol on Sunday. The Blaugrana have been on a roll in recent weeks and should have the upper hand over the hosts, who have looked erratic lately.
Sitting second from bottom, three points from safety, Espanyol come into this fixture in need of a win to boost their survival chances. However, their recent form has been abysmal with just one win from their last 10 matches across all competitions.
Espanyol suffered a 3-2 defeat at Sevilla in their previous La Liga fixture despite taking the lead into the break. That was the eighth defeat in the last 10 matches for Luis Garcia’s men, who are looking increasingly doomed to take the plunge this season.
Home form is usually pivotal in a relegation battle but Espanyol have been erratic in front of their fans all season. They have claimed just three wins in their last 10 matches at the RCDE Stadium, although one of those victories was a 1-0 triumph over Getafe in their previous home fixture.
Having successfully weathered a recent rough patch, Barcelona are now one win a way from clinching the La Liga title. They travel to Espanyol with just one defeat in their last 10 La Liga matches, claiming seven wins in that run.
For a team boasting plenty of attacking quality, Barcelona’s campaign has been surprisingly built on a sturdy defence. Xavi’s men have conceded the fewest goals in La Liga this season and that defensive solidity was evident as they claimed a 1-0 victory over Osasuna in their previous fixture.
A slight problem for Barcelona heading into Sunday’s clash is a little inconsistency on their recent travels having failed to win their last two away matches. However, having claimed eight wins from their last 11 La Liga matches on the road, they will be confident of doing the needful at Espanyol.
How the bookies view it
Barcelona are considered overwhelming favourites among the bookies with a win priced at 4/6 by bet365. Espanyol are considered outsiders at home at 9/2 with William Hill while BoyleSports is offering odds of 14/5 for a draw.
Head to head
Barcelona have a 44-7 advantage with 17 draws from 68 previous matches against Espanyol. However, the last two meetings have ended in stalemates with both teams battling to a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture back in December.
Players to watch
Barcelona’s backline has caught the eye the season with Ronald Araujo and Jules Kounde often impressing. They have kept clean sheets in eight of their last 10 La Liga matches and could be set for a similar outcome on Sunday at 29/20 with Coral.
At the other end of the pitch, Robert Lewandowski will be the one to watch for Barcelona as he also looks to clinch the Pichichi. The striker has 19 La Liga goals this season and is priced at 20/21 by bet365 to get on the score sheet on Sunday.
Anything else catch the eye?
Barcelona have won to nil in three of their last four La Liga matches and could be set for a repeat at 19/10 with BetVictor. Given their attacking quality they are likely to score multiple goals and could be backed in the -1 handicap market at 7/4 with Paddy Power.
Barcelona led at the break in the reverse fixture and could be set for a halftime win at 5/4 with BetVictor.
This La Liga match between Espanyol and Barcelona will be played on May 14, 2023 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Espanyol vs Barcelona prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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