Catalan derby provides first test of 2026 for Barcelona against Espanyol | OneFootball

Barcelona can move seven points clear at the top of La Liga when they visit city rivals Espanyol at the RCDE Stadium on Saturday.

This weekend’s clash brings together La Liga’s two most in-form sides, raising the stakes in one of Spanish football’s fiercest derbies.

Barcelona’s momentum is strong as they head into 2026, having won seven straight matches across all competitions after a 2-0 triumph over Villarreal in their final outing of 2025.

Hansi Flick’s men last lost a league match on October 26 – a 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid. That result left them five points adrift of Los Blancos.

However, Barcelona now hold a four-point advantage over their arch-rivals as the campaign nears its midway point.

Central to Barcelona’s charge for a second straight title has been their attacking output, with 51 goals from 18 matches. They have also been frugal at the back, recording three clean sheets in a row.

Barcelona will be confident of enjoying another field day against an Espanyol side that has conceded nine times across the last three meetings and is without a clean sheet in 10 straight meetings.

A victory on Saturday would set the away side up nicely for the start of their Spanish Super Cup campaign, which begins against Athletic Bilbao on January 7.

Winless in their last 13 meetings with their more illustrious city rivals, Espanyol have been second-best in this fixture by a considerable distance.

Despite this, Manolo Gonzalez’s men have reason to believe they can buck the trend in the latest rendition of the Catalan derby.

Los Periquitos have won five league matches for the first time since the 1998-99 campaign, although sandwiched in between those victories was a disappointing Copa del Rey exit to Atletico Baleares.

Espanyol’s resurgence has propelled them to fifth place in the standings, leaving them on course for a return to European competition after a five-year absence.

They will face four of the current bottom seven teams after Saturday’s fixture.

This gives the hosts a favourable run to consolidate their position in the standings, even if they come away empty-handed this weekend.