RCD Espanyol will hope to halt their city rivals’ title hopes this Saturday.
The LALIGA EA SPORTS title race will have a very Catalan feel to it this weekend. That’s because Real Madrid will be taking on Girona FC, while FC Barcelona host a derby match against neighbours RCD Espanyol. Although Hansi Flick’s side now hold a seven-point advantage in the title race, following last weekend’s results, the German coach will be urging his players that there is still work to be done and that this is one of the toughest games remaining on the schedule. Click this link https://a.meridianbet.ke/c/C7pYjz to start gaming and stand a chance of winning big with Meridianbet.
RCD Espanyol will give their all in their bid to half their city rivals’ title charge, but the good news for FC Barcelona is that they get to host this edition of ELDERBI DE BARCELONA. And it’ll be the first time the city’s derby has been played at the Spotify Camp Nou since the 2022/23 season, when these two foes met on New Year’s Eve, a match which finished in a 1-1 draw as a Joselu penalty cancelled out Marcos Alonso’s opener.
Since then, there have been four more derbies between these clubs and FC Barcelona have won every one of them. However, only one of the four matches was at home. There was no derby in 2023/24 season, with RCD Espanyol down in LALIGA HYPERMOTION, then Barça’s home derby in the 2024/25 campaign was played at the Estadi Olímpic – a 3-1 victory with Dani Olmo scoring twice and Raphinha once.
That was a strange ELDERBI DE BARCELONA precisely because of the location, given that the Estadi Olímpic had been the home of RCD Espanyol between 1997 and 2009. But, Barça temporarily moved into the ground which was the central venue of the 1992 Olympic Games when construction began on their historic home of the Spotify Camp Nou.
Work is continuing on the stadium that will once again be the largest in Europe, but fans have been able to return and the permitted capacity recently increased to over 62,000 fans, with 60,067 packing the stands to watch the women’s team during the men’s March international break. This Saturday night, at 18:30 CEST, the stadium will be filled once again for this huge LALIGA EA SPORTS match.
FC Barcelona’s incredible home record against RCD Espanyol
When the ball gets rolling, Los Azulgranas will hope to keep up their impressive home record against Los Pericos. They haven’t lost at home against their neighbours since the 2008/09 season. Since then, there have been 15 FC Barcelona victories and one draw in 16 home derbies, with 45 Barça goals scored and just five conceded. That draw was the last time ELDERBI DE BARCELONA was held at the Spotify Camp Nou, so Hansi Flick’s men will hope to get back to winning ways this time around.
Looking at the form book, a home victory wouldn’t be a major shock. Barça have won their past six in a row in LALIGA EA SPORTS, while RCD Espanyol have drawn three and lost three of their past six fixtures. That said, anything can happen in ELDERBI DE BARCELONA. So, this is one football fans won’t want to miss.
