El Clasico may be one of the best rivalries in the world, but it’s Espanyol who is Barcelona’s natural rival. The two clubs are separated by six miles and have a heated history against one another. The latest edition of their Derby greets us as La Liga returns from a short winter break. Barcelona looks to stay on top as it travels to Espanyol looking for full points.
When: Saturday, January 4
Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
TV: beIN SPORTS
Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)
After a sub-par performance against Real Madrid, the Blaugrana still managed to take sole possession of first place thanks to its biggest rival’s misstep before the winter break. Now that the team has edged in front, Barcelona will be looking to separate itself from the pack. Despite its top of the table status, rumors of Ernesto Valverde’s long-term future at the club persist. Reports have even linked former Barcelona forward Thierry Henry to the club’s manager job if Valverde is relieved of his duties. It remains to be seen what exactly would need to happen for the Spaniard to lose his job, but winning in the league should help his cause, at least until the Champions League resumes in February.
With the way things are going for Espanyol, this season could feature the last Barcelona Derby for a while. The lesser known Barcelona-based club is struggling mightily and is sitting at the very bottom of the league table. The team has just 10 points through 18 matches and is five points from safety. It doesn’t take much of a deep dive into the stats to figure out why the team is so low in the table. Espanyol has conceded the most amount of goals, while also scoring the least. If things don’t change soon, relegation seems inevitable.
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