Sports Innovation previews the La Liga match between FC Barcelona and Espanyol and offers team stats and betting tips with the latest odds.
It’s the start of a new exciting era at Camp Nou as Xavi Hernandez makes his debut as Barcelona manager against Espanyol.
Xavi, who replaced Ronald Koeman during the international break, is back home after six years in Qatar. The Catalan hopes to start his dream job on a winning note on Saturday. While he has had little time to work with the squad, he knows success in the Catalan derby is a must.
The Barca legend has a big task at hand, with the Blaugrana down in ninth place in La Liga. They’re currently level on 17 points with the 11th-placed Espanyol, who are behind on goal difference.
Our tip
Stats and facts for Barcelona and Espanyol in La Liga.
- Barcelona did not win the last 4 matches in a row;
- Barcelona conceded in the last 10 of 12 matches;
- Barcelona conceded the last 6 matches in a row;
- Barcelona scored in the last 5 of 7 matches.
- Espanyol did not win the last 15 matches in a row when playing away;
- Espanyol scored in the last 9 of 11 matches;
- Total goals was UNDER 3.5 in Espanyol’s last 3 of 5 matches;
- Espanyol conceded in the last 5 of 7 matches.
Current form — Barcelona v. Espanyol
The Blaugrana continue to look blunt
Barcelona go into this encounter on the back of a miserable run of form but still unbeaten in their last 3 games. Xavi’s side started off with a 1-1 draw against Deportivo Alaves. They went on to beat Dynamo Kyiv 1-0, before sharing the spoils with Celta Vigo in a 3-3 draw.
The Periquitos continue to collect points
Espanyol will be out to extend their fine run of results lately. Vicente Moreno’s side have seen it all in their last 3 matches, which brought home 4 points. An encounter with Athletic Bilbao brought a 1-1 draw, which was followed by a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Getafe. Their most recent game had them back on the winning trail as they beat Granada by a 2-0 scoreline.
According to the bookmakers, Barcelona are the favorites to win. Betting on the home win will get you odds of 1.44. Placing your bet on Espanyol, the best price at the time of writing is 5.50.
Barcelona v. Espanyol — fixture history
The latest match between these teams was a tight encounter which saw Barcelona running away with a narrow 1-0 victory. The Blaugrana have the following 7-3-0 meeting statistics with Espanyol.
In the last 10 meetings of these teams, an advantage was formed on the side of Barcelona, and these matches were also remembered for a large number of goals.
Current table in the La Liga
Top marksman
Looking at the goalscorer market, it would seem a good idea to side with Memphis Depay. He is one of the Barcelona players, who is showing decent form right now. He managed to find the back of the net 2 times in his most recent outings. Surely, he will want to add more goals against Espanyol.
The visitors will be looking to in-form Raul de Tomas to find the net once again, as he has been their main man recently. The former Real Madrid striker has netted 5 goals for Espanyol in their latest matches.
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