Barcelona defender set for a difficult challenge against 24-year-old Espanyol attacker | OneFootball

On Saturday, FC Barcelona play their first game of the new year, and it will be a big one as they take on local rivals RCD Espanyol in the Catalan derby away from home.

Both teams go into the game on the back of an impressive run of form, while Joan Garcia’s return to the RCDE Stadium is set to add more tension to the encounter.

A big challenge awaits Alejandro Balde

As is often the case in matches of this nature, individual duels may prove decisive, highlights AS.

One of them will be the battle between Alejandro Balde and Tyrhys Dolan, Espanyol’s young English winger and one of the revelations of the season for the home side.

The Barcelona left-back began the campaign well, but an injury sidelined him for five games and it took him some time to regain his best form.

Now, however, he is once again surging down the left flank, where he forms an effective partnership with Raphinha. His understanding with Marcus Rashford has also been positive.

Tyrhys Dolan poses a threat to Barcelona. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

Against Espanyol, a demanding test awaits him, as he will most likely be tasked with defending Dolan, one of the wingers who most frequently looks to dribble past opponents. He also tends to do so with a high success rate.

Although the Englishman has yet to score this season, he has already provided four assists from 16 La Liga games, and his directness and boldness have caused problems for more than one full-back so far.

The Manchester-born winger will look to take the game to Balde, who will need to be careful when choosing his moments to press forward and attack, as Dolan can take advantage of any space left behind.

Derbies are always special for Balde, who joined Barcelona at a very young age after spending time at Espanyol’s academy.

He has fond memories of the Cornella-El Prat stadium, as in May 2023, he played a key role in Barcelona’s 4-2 victory at the ground, a win that secured the league title. On that day, Balde assisted the goal scored by Robert Lewandowski and went on to score himself.