Espanyol and Barcelona, known as the Catalan derby, promises to be an exhilarating encounter. Both teams come into this fixture with contrasting fortunes; Barcelona is currently contending for the top positions in La Liga, while Espanyol fights to secure their place in the league. The competitive nature of this rivalry often leads to unpredictable outcomes, making predictions challenging yet intriguing.
Mallorca on Wednesday evening waiting to see if they needed to beat Espanyol to clinch the La Liga title at the RCDE Stadium. Securing their 28th La Liga triumph would cap an extraordinary debut season for Hansi Flick at the helm.
Barcelona all but secured the title at the weekend when they beat Madrid in a breathless affair. A remarkable first-half comeback saw them run out 4–3 winners despite Kylian Mbappe's hat-trick, offering them a seven-point advantage prior to the midweek fixtures.
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Following an epic win over Real Madrid in the final El Clásico of the season at the weekend, Barcelona return to action with a chance to clinch the La Liga title with two games to spare as the Blaugrana face city rivals Espanyol at the RCDE Stadium on Thursday night.
Barça were 15 seconds away from winning the league without even playing on Wednesday, but Madrid scored a miraculous late winner to force the Blaugrana to finish the job themselves at Cornellà.
Espanyol possible starting lineup: Garcia; El Hilali, Kumbulla, Cabrera, Romero; Exposito, Gonzalez, Lozano; Jofre, Puado, Roberto
Barcelona possible starting lineup: Szczesny; Garcia, Christensen, Cubarsi, Balde; Pedri, De Jong; Yamal, Olmo, Raphinha; Torres
Espanyol will likely rely on the talents of Raúl de Tomás and Sergi Darder to provide offensive threats. The tactical approaches adopted by both coaches will significantly influence the match dynamics; Barcelona's possession-based style contrasts sharply with Espanyol's counter-attacking strategy.
The live broadcast of this match will be accessible through various sports networks and streaming services worldwide, ensuring that fans can engage with this thrilling display of football. As anticipation builds towards kick-off, supporters from both sides are eager to witness which team will assert dominance in this age-old rivalry.
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