Barcelona Hosts Espanyol in Highly Anticipated Catalan Derby

FC Barcelona is set to face off against RCD Espanyol in the highly anticipated Catalan Derby on Sunday, November 3, as part of Matchday 12 of the 2024-2025 La Liga season. The match will be held at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in Montjuïc, a venue that holds historical significance for both teams, having been used by Espanyol from 1997 to 2009 and now temporarily by Barcelona.

Barcelona, under the leadership of Hansi Flick, is on a remarkable run, having recently secured impressive victories against Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. This form has propelled them to the top of the La Liga table with a six-point lead over Real Madrid, who are not playing this weekend due to the tragic flooding in Valencia. Flick has expressed his team’s focus on maintaining intensity and has hinted at the possibility of rotating his squad, especially with players like Frenkie de Jong, Dani Olmo, and Gavi returning from injuries.

Espanyol, on the other hand, is struggling, currently sitting fourth from the bottom in the league table. They have failed to win any of the last 26 derbies against Barcelona, although they did manage to draw two of the last three meetings. Espanyol’s away form has been particularly poor, with just one point from their road games so far. Despite these challenges, they will look to capitalize on any opportunity to secure valuable points and avoid the relegation zone.

The match will be preceded by 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 support relief efforts. Additionally, there will be recognitions for several players, including Aitana Bonmatí for her second Ballon d’Or, Lamine Yamal for his Kapa Trophy, and Robert Lewandowski for the Liga Player of the Month award for October.

Fans in the USA can watch the match live on various platforms, including ESPN+, ESPN Deportes, and Fubo, with kickoff times varying by time zone: 10:15 AM ET, 9:15 AM CT, 8:15 AM MT, and 7:15 AM PT.

Team news indicates that Barcelona will be without Ferran Torres, Marc-André ter Stegen, Marc Bernal, Andreas Christensen, and Ronald Araujo, while Eric Garcia is also sidelined. Espanyol will miss Fernando Calero and Edu Expósito, but Alejo Véliz could feature after his impressive performance in the Copa del Rey.