Barcelona vs Espanyol – Match preview and team news
Barcelona vs Espanyol – Match preview and team news Barcelona will be aiming to win their seventh straight La Liga encounter when they meet Espanyol at the Camp Nou on Saturday. Barcelona have not lost against Espanyol in their last 14 head-to-head meetings with their last defeat against Espanyol coming in a Copa Del Rey encounter back in January 2018. Barcelona vs Espanyol – Match preview and team news Date: Saturday, 11th April.
Kick-off: 5:30pm BST. Venue: Camp Nou. Barcelona team news For the home side, Hansi Flick faces a significant selection headache as Barcelona balances the Catalan derby with a crucial Champions League return leg against Atlético Madrid.
Pedri is expected to miss out after reporting hamstring discomfort during midweek European action, joining long-term absentee Andreas Christensen on the sidelines. Raphinha remains ruled out with a hamstring injury sustained on international duty, while young talent Marc Bernal is a major doubt due to an ankle issue. On a more positive note, Frenkie de Jong is nearing medical clearance and could feature off the bench, while Gavi is tipped for his first start since August to fill the void in midfield.
Flick may also rotate his frontline, potentially resting Robert Lewandowski in favour of Ferran Torres to maintain freshness for their upcoming continental decider. Espanyol team news Espanyol enters the derby desperate for its first victory of 2026, and manager Manolo González is expected to field the strongest possible XI despite some key absences. The visitors will be without their attacker Javi Puado, who remains a long-term casualty due to a persistent knee injury.
Further complicating matters in defence, Clemens Riedel is unavailable for selection today as he serves a suspension for accumulating five yellow cards. Pere Milla is available again after serving his own disciplinary ban. Roberto Fernandez is expected to continue leading the line in hopes of an upset with the forward having scored six times in the league this season.