Barcelona will look to make it seven La Liga wins in a row when they host Espanyol at the Camp Nou on Saturday.
The Catalan giants have dominated this fixture in recent years — Espanyol haven’t beaten Barcelona in their last 14 meetings. Their most recent victory came way back in January 2018, in a Copa del Rey clash.
Heading into the weekend, Barcelona sit comfortably at the top of the La Liga table with 76 points from 30 matches. They hold a six-point lead over second-placed Real Madrid, who are on 70. A win here would push that advantage to nine points.
However, they head into this derby after a disappointing midweek loss in the Champions League quarter-final first leg, where they fell 0–2 to Atletico Madrid.
Barcelona team news
Flick faces a few selection dilemmas as he juggles this derby with the crucial European return leg.
Pedri is set to miss out due to hamstring discomfort picked up in midweek, while Andreas Christensen continues his recovery on the sidelines.
Raphinha is still out with a hamstring problem suffered on international duty, and youngster Marc Bernal is doubtful with an ankle injury.
There’s some good news, though — Frenkie de Jong is close to returning and could make the bench, while Gavi might start for the first time since August to strengthen the midfield.
Up front, Flick could rest Robert Lewandowski and give Ferran Torres a chance to start, keeping the squad fresh for the upcoming Champions League clash.
Barcelona predicted lineup
Possible Barcelona starting XI: J Garcia; Kounde, Cubarsi, Araujo, Balde; E Garcia, Gavi; Yamal, F Lopez, OImo; F Torres
When will the match kick off?
The match will kick off at 5:30pm BST on Saturday, 11th April.
How to watch Barcelona vs Espanyol?
Fans in the UK can catch Barcelona vs Espanyol live on Premier Sports 2.
Read Also – 5️⃣ spicy fixtures you must watch this weekend 🌶
See More – Guardiola reveals why he’s ‘so grumpy’ with Man City star Silva
Follow the Football Faithful on Social Media:
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube