Barcelona Aims to Extend La Liga Lead Against Espanyol in Catalan Derby

FC Barcelona is set to face RCD Espanyol in a highly anticipated Catalan derby on Sunday, November 3, at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys. This match comes at a crucial time for Barcelona, who are riding high after a thrilling 4-0 win over Real Madrid in El Clásico and a 4-1 victory over Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League.

Under the leadership of new manager Hansi Flick, Barcelona has had a stellar start to the season, winning 10 of their 11 La Liga games and scoring 37 goals. A win against Espanyol could see them extend their lead at the top of the table to nine points, given that Real Madrid’s match against Valencia has been postponed due to flash flooding in the region.

Espanyol, currently in 17th position in La Liga, are struggling but come into this match with some renewed confidence after a 4-0 win over San Tirso in the Copa del Rey. Despite their recent form, Espanyol have a poor record in derbies against Barcelona, having failed to win any of the last 26 meetings, although they have managed to draw two of the last three encounters.

The match is scheduled to kick off at 4:15 p.m. CET, which translates to 10:15 a.m. ET and 7:15 a.m. PT in the US. It will be available to stream via ESPN Plus in the US, Premier Sports in the UK, TSN Plus in Canada, and BeIn Sports in Australia.

Barcelona will be without several key players, including Ferran Torres, Marc-André ter Stegen, Andreas Christensen, and Ronald Araujo, while Eric Garcia is also sidelined. Despite these absences, the team is expected to field a strong lineup, with Robert Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal, and Raphinha leading the attack.

The match will also include a minute’s silence to honor the victims of the recent flooding in Valencia, and Barcelona will auction off the jerseys worn during the game to raise funds for the relief efforts.