Barcelona take on the visitors Espanyol in the round 12 match of Spanish LaLiga. The match will be played on Sunday, November 3rd at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys (Barcelona).
Barcelona had high hopes that Xavi would become the next Guardiola, or at least a new Luis Enrique. Although he struggled initially, by 2023, the “more than a club” managed to end their drought, winning the Super Cup and La Liga. However, further setbacks arose, and the former midfielder announced his departure in the offseason, only to reconsider later. But with no trophies in sight, Laporta had to let go of the club legend. That’s when experienced and successful coach Hansi Flick stepped in. Flick’s tenure hasn't been without challenges: the Champions League campaign began with a 1-2 loss away to Monaco, and they suffered a shocking 2-4 defeat to Osasuna in La Liga. But last week, Hansi’s side thrashed his former club, Bayern Munich, 4-1. Then, on Saturday’s El Clasico, Lewandowski and company scored four goals, doubling their lead over Real Madrid.
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Espanyol struggle to stay in La Liga. The Periquitos have ambition, but they rarely make it to European competitions and have faced relegation multiple times. Though they managed to climb back into La Liga, it was only through playoff matches rather than direct promotion. This season, Manolo Gonzalez and his squad are focused on staying in the top flight. Despite a tough start with losses to Valladolid and Real Sociedad, they had a hopeful run, earning a goalless draw against Atletico and securing home wins over Rayo Vallecano and Alaves. Since then, they’ve only managed a win against Mallorca amid a slew of defeats. However, they faced tough opponents—Real Madrid, Villarreal, Betis, and Athletic Club—and lost 0-2 at home to a struggling Sevilla in their last match.
In this derby, the Culers have dominated, not losing to their neighbors since 2018. But it hasn’t always been easy; in two of the last three meetings, they’ve had to settle for draws against the Periquitos. Currently, the strength balance clearly favors the Blaugrana. We’re backing Lamine Yamal and company to defeat their old rivals with a “-2.5 goals” handicap.
Prediction for the match: Barcelona to win with -2.5 handicap.
