Hello and welcome to another MARCA in English live blog, this time guiding you through one of the most-anticipated derbies of the 24/25 LaLiga season as Barcelona look to beat Espanyol and clinch the title.
The stage is set at the RCDE Stadium, with Barcelona making a short trip across the city for tonight’s game. The Blaugrana lead Real Madrid at the top by four points after Real Madrid salvaged what is left of their slim title hopes with a last-gasp winner in the 2-1 victory over Real Mallorca on Wednesday.
But Hansi Flick‘s side, currently sitting at the summit with 82 points, know that a win against their city rivals Espanyol will mathematically secure their 28th LaLiga title with two games to go.
Barcelona enters the game with confidence after beating Real Madrid 4-3 in the Clasico last time out. One of the standout performers for Barcelona this campaign has been Lamine Yamal, the teenage sensation who continues to impress in attack. With Ferran Torres sidelined and Robert Lewandowski lacking match fitness, the 18-year-old’s creativity and composure in front of goal will be crucial to their chances.
On the other side, Espanyol will be hoping to secure their safety once and for all. The Catalan-based outfit is placed 16th in the league standings and know that a victory would put them eight points clear of the drop with two games to go. A draw would still leave them in a great position heading into the season finale, but Manolo Gonzalez‘s side has that extra motivation to stop their rivals winning tonight.
Barcelona will be favorites to brush aside their opponents, having won 14 out of their last 15 league fixtures. They haven’t lost in 2025 either, proving Flick’s men have the mental strength to recover from any setbacks.
Espanyol vs Barcelona LIVE – Latest Updates
Lineups are announced and players are warming up.
Espanyol vs Barcelona Team News
Espanyol are still without defender Brian Olivan, who remains sidelined with a calf injury. Pol Lozano returns to contention after missing the last match with a quad issue, and Omar El Hilali is available again after suspension. Javi Puado, the team’s top scorer with 11 goals, will lead the attack.
For Barcelona, several key names are missing. Marc Bernal and Ferran Torres are long-term absentees, while Jules Kounde and Pablo Torre are also expected to miss out. Inigo Martinez is suspended, paving the way for Andreas Christensen to partner Eric Garcia in defense. Alejandro Balde and Robert Lewandowski are both expected to start after substitute roles in El Clasico
Espanyol possible starting XI: Garcia; El Hilali, Kumbulla, Cabrera, Romero; Exposito, Gonzalez, Lozano; Jofre, Puado, Roberto
Barcelona possible starting XI: Szczesny; Garcia, Christensen, Cubarsi, Balde; Pedri, De Jong; Yamal, Olmo, Raphinha; Lewandowski
When is Espanyol vs Barcelona?
Kick-off for Espanyol vs Barcelona is 21:30 CEST. That means fans in the UK and Ireland can tune in to watch at 20:30.
Fans in the USA, meanwhile, will find Espanyol vs Barcelona starting at 15:30 Eastern Time (ET) / 12:30 Pacific Time (PT).
Where to watch Espanyol vs Barcelona?
For fans in the United Kingdom, Espanyol vs Barcelona will be shown on free-to-air television as broadcaster ITV4 will be airing this evening’s big match live. Alternatively, you can tune in to Premier Sports 1 with streaming on LaLigaTV.
US-based fans will be able to see Espanyol vs Barcelona which has live English and Spanish-language broadcast rights for LaLiga in the US.
Read the full article here
Barcelona XI: Szczesny, Eric García, Araujo, Christensen, Gerard Martín, Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, Olmo, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Lewandowski.
Espanyol XI: Joan García, El Hilali, Kumbulla, Cabrera, Carlos Romero, Urko, Pol Lozano, Roca, Edu Expósito, Puado, Roberto Fernández.