In-depth Analysis
Barcelona have just suffered a 0-2 defeat against Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals. This forces them to put all their focus on the second leg at the Metropolitano next midweek, hoping to turn the tie around. However, this does not mean Hansi Flick’s side can afford to take their eyes off La Liga.
At present, Barcelona are still leading the La Liga table, holding a 7-point advantage over Real Madrid. Their chances of defending the title are very high with only 8 rounds remaining. A win in the Catalan derby against Espanyol would bring them a step closer to the championship, so the Blaugrana must remain fully focused.
The Champions League defeat does not overshadow Barca’s impressive form prior to that result. Before losing to Atletico, they were on a nine-match unbeaten run, winning eight of those games.
Notably, Barca will play this match at home, where they have turned Camp Nou into a true fortress. Statistics show that Hansi Flick’s team have won all 15 home matches in La Liga this season, an outstanding record.
On the other hand, Espanyol are going through a poor run of form, failing to win in their last 13 matches (8 losses, 5 draws). Ironically, Barcelona were the team that started this winless streak with a 2-0 victory in the first leg thanks to goals from Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski.
With a poor away record—seven consecutive winless matches in La Liga—Espanyol have little hope of causing an upset in this derby.
Overall, this is a highly one-sided derby. Even with Hansi Flick rotating his squad to rest players for the Atletico clash, Barcelona are still considered far superior to their local rivals Espanyol.