With confidence after beating Bayern (4-1) and Real Madrid (1-4), Barcelona, leader of the League, hopes to extend the streak this Sunday against Espanyol, who visits the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys with doubts after add three points from the last 18 possible. Both teams meet again in an uncomfortable scenario after the disaster that occurred in Valencia with the DANA victims. The two coaches, Flick and Manolo González, showed their disagreement with the decision of the employers’ association that opted not to suspend the League day except for those games that had to be played in the affected area.
In terms of football, an unequal derby is expected. Hansi Flick’s Dream Teen, the great sensation of continental football, has scored 21 goals and has only conceded 2 in the five consecutive victories it has chained between the domestic competition and the Champions League.
The data of the Barça team contrasts with that of the Parakeet team, seventeenth classified, one point away from relegation, which in the first eleven days has scored 10 goals and has conceded 19 targets.
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Unlike Espanyol, which has played the first round of the Copa del Rey, Barça, which has only lost one game in the League (4-2 against Osasuna), has enjoyed a week without games, so the event will arrive fresh and with high spirits after the last classic.
Flick’s eleven
Flick’s eleven stands out for its changes. Héctor Fort replaces the usual Koundé at right back in a defense completed by the regulars Pau Cubarsí, Iñigo Martínez and Alejandro Balde. Dani Olmo regains ownership to complete the midfield with the also regulars Pedri and Marc Casadó.
There are no changes up front. Robert Leandowski, Raphinha and Lamine Yamal start. The continent’s top scoring trident has scored 33 of Barça’s 47 goals in his team’s first 14 official matches.
Barcelona: Iñaki Peña: Héctor Fort, Cubarsí, Íñigo Martínez, Balde; Casadó, Olmo, Pedri; Lamine Yamal, Lewandowski and Raphinha.
Flick will not be able to count on the injured Marc-André ter Stegen, Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen, Marc Bernal and Ferran Torres for the derby. Eric Garcia has not recovered in time from his muscle problems either, and will not play again until after the national team break.
Manolo González’s Espanyol eleven
For its part, Espanyol visits Barcelona this Sunday in a well-known setting, Montjuïc, its stadium for more than ten years, but with no room for nostalgia since it must focus on the present and break a negative streak of results.
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Manolo González’s locker room, which has not won away this season, does not give up anything, aware that they must tune in as much as possible to surprise the host. As precedents, Espanyol tied on their last visit to the Spotify Camp Nou (2022-23, 1-1), but the next positive result was in 2008-09 (1-2).
Regarding the availability of the blue and white squad, midfielders Edu Expósito, Pol Lozano and José Gragera, as well as center back Calero are out due to injury. The coaching staff will dose their efforts after the Copa del Rey match against San Tirso on Thursday to put forward the best possible eleven in the Catalan derby. But Manolo González recovers the defense of five that he presented in the duels against Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid.
Spanish: Joan Garcia; Tejero, Omar, Kumbulla, Cabrera, Romero; Aguado, Kral, Bauza, Jofre i Puado.
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