Espanyol is experiencing one of its most exciting phases in years and, of all places, is still waiting for its first league derby win against city rivals Barcelona at the RCDE Stadium on matchday 18 of La Liga. Under Manolo González, the team has worked its way up to 33 points and fifth place in the last five league games, just one year after fighting against relegation. Hansi Flick’s Barça leads the league with 46 points, four points ahead of Real Madrid, has already scored 51 goals and has scored in 38 league games in a row. The derby history in Cornellà clearly favors Barcelona, with eight Barça wins and six draws since the stadium opened in 2009, while Espanyol is still waiting for its first league home win. The last meeting here, in May, ended 0-2 from Espanyol’s perspective, extending a recent run of three Barça wins and two draws in five encounters. The home side are currently on the back of a 2-1 league win at Athletic, while Barcelona are coming off a 2-0 win at Villarreal, sealed by Raphinha and Lamine Yamal. The focus is also on the goalkeeper duel, with Dmitrovic in top form facing former Espanyol hero Joan García, who now returns as Barça’s regular keeper, in a stadium with heightened security measures.
- Venue: RCDE Stadium, Cornella de Llobregat
- Date and time: January 3, 2026, 9:00 p.m.
- Competition: La Liga (Matchday 18)
This fits in with Flick’s offensive team, which has 46 points and a streak of 38 games with goals scored. At the same time, we expect both teams to score: Yes, because Espanyol’s five-game run and Dmitrovic’s form will face a high Barça line that continues to leave room for counterattacks, and that in an emotional derby with Joan García in goal for the visitors.
Espanyol form & record check
Espanyol go into the derby in the midst of the Champions League discussion, sitting fifth in La Liga with 33 points after 17 matchdays, just two behind Villarreal and already five ahead of Betis. The signings of Fernández and González de Zárate have noticeably supported this change. For a team that started 2025 in the relegation zone and ended the year in the European places, the continuity of this upswing under Manolo González already seems like an overfulfillment of expectations. The recent run of five consecutive league wins has been based on narrow victories, beating Celta 1-0 in Vigo, Rayo 1-0 at the RCDE Stadium, Getafe 1-0 and most recently Athletic 2-1 at San Mamés, with Romero and Milla scoring after falling behind. The only slip-up was a disappointing 1-0 defeat at Atlético Baleares in the Copa del Rey, which exposed their lack of firepower in attack. Defensively, they are one of the stories of the season, with Espanyol sharing the best away record in La Liga with Celta, conceding just seven goals. Dmitrovic is second in the league in saves and crosses saved, and Olocip’s data ranks Cabrera and Romero among the outstanding defenders. Four of their last five games in all competitions have been under 2.5 goals, which shows control but also reveals very fine margins. In terms of rhythm, Espanyol often only get going as the game progresses, with four of their last five appearances in all competitions level at halftime and none ending in a draw, suggesting a team that copes well with tight results. It could be that Milla, Dolan, and Puado bring enough mobility around Fernández and García to compensate for the current absences in midfield, such as Pickel and Terrats.
Espanyol are expected to stick with Manolo González’s usual 4-2-3-1, with our predicted lineup seeing Dmitrovic in goal behind a back four of El Hilali, Calero, Cabrera, and Romero. González de Zárate and Lozano would form the double pivot, Dolan and Milla would start on the wings, and Expósito would operate as the central playmaker behind Fernández, a stable structure that has given the team balance in recent league games. This remains a possible lineup rather than a confirmed one, as Pickel is away with his national team and Terrats is out with a thigh injury, so any further issues could change the midfield structure. Puado, Koleosho, Carreras, or García offer different profiles in attack, and it could be that González changes one of the three attacking midfield positions shortly before kickoff.
Barcelona Form & Record Check
Barcelona come into the derby as La Liga leaders with 46 points, four ahead of Real Madrid, and their recent run of form underpins that position. They have won five consecutive games in all competitions, including league victories over Betis, Osasuna, and Villarreal, as well as a commanding victory in the Copa del Rey at Guadalajara. A study of their current form ranks them among Europe’s top teams, and Flick’s ideas have clearly taken hold. Data from these five games highlights a team that develops into the game, with Barcelona scoring in every second half and all games ending with more than 1.5 goals in total, while four of the first halves remained below that mark. It is possible that Flick’s pressing structure and rotation are causing opponents to gradually tire, which fits in with the deep offensive options. However, not everything is perfect. The 5-3 win at Betis and the 2-1 win against Eintracht Frankfurt showed how vulnerable the high line becomes when the first pressing block is broken, which is also highlighted by analytical models that note the quality of chances conceded. Results have sometimes exceeded performances, and there are still phases, especially shortly after halftime, when concentration and spacing slip. Personnel trends explain part of this form, as Christensen, Koundé, and Gavi are out, Flick has increasingly relied on Cubarsí and Martín in central defense, and García has moved into midfield. García has also been confirmed as the first choice in goal, while ter Stegen is considering a possible move. Up front, Lewandowski continues to deliver, Torres is growing under Flick, Rashford brings pace, and Raphinha and Yamal sealed the win against Villarreal.
Based on current information, Barcelona are likely to stick with their predicted 4-2-3-1 formation, with Joan García in goal and a back four of Balde, Martín, Cubarsí, and Araújo. Martín has worked his way into the left center-back role following the departure of Inigo Martínez and the serious injury to Andreas Christensen, while Eric García has already been used in midfield due to these setbacks and could play alongside De Jong again. Further forward, the predicted trio behind Lewandowski remains unchanged, with Rashford on the left, Pedri as the central playmaker and Lamine Yamal on the right, with Raphinha, Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres as strong options off the bench. Christensen, Koundé, and Gavi are still out, so Martín and Araújo remain central to the defensive plan, with Pedri and De Jong carrying most of the midfield responsibility in this predicted lineup.
Espanyol – Barcelona Head-to-Head & Statistics
Barcelona have clearly had the upper hand in the last five league matches between 2022 and May 2025, remaining unbeaten with three wins and two draws, and are currently on a three-game winning streak. Espanyol have not won a single game in this sequence, so the recent results clearly favor Barcelona. Each of these five games ended with at least two goals, four of them with goals at both ends. Barcelona scored in all five games, while Espanyol were successful in four games. The only goalless game from Espanyol’s perspective was the 2-0 home defeat in May 2025. This gives Barcelona a perfect scoring rate of 100% and Espanyol 80%. Home advantage has not shifted the balance, with Espanyol losing their last two encounters at the RCDE Stadium, 4-2 in 2023 and 2-0 in May 2025, giving Barcelona an overall record of 6-2. There was a draw at Barcelona’s stadium in 2022, followed by a 3-1 home win in 2024, meaning Espanyol struggled at both venues. The pattern within the games is also clear, with Barcelona scoring in the first half in four of the five encounters and never going into the break behind. Espanyol conceded before halftime in four of the five games and were never in the lead at the break. Interestingly, Espanyol scored in four games after the break, so they tend to react late rather than dictating the game early on.
