The Derbi Barceloní might not be the most competitive rivalry within Spain, yet whenever RCD Espanyol vs Barcelona game is on, it’s an opportunity to show the world who is the true club of the city. Oh, it’s also imperative for Espanyol to win in order to stay in La Liga!
Where to Watch Espanyol vs Barcelona On US TV
This match will take place on a Saturday evening in Barcelona as RCD Espanyol host their local rivals and iconic world soccer brand, FC Barcelona at the RCDE Stadium.
Date: May 14, 2023
Venue: RCDE Stadium
Time: 12: 00pm PDT | 3:00 pm EDT
WHERE TO WATCH: ESPN+
Match Preview
Two clubs from the same city. Wildly different seasons. Away from the glitz and glamour of winning silverware sits RCD Espanyol. While it won a league title in 2020/21, that was the second division – something their counterparts might not even acknowledge the existence of. Espanyol is now staring down the barrel at having to win the Segunda Division again, as this season amassed few wins, leaving them in a relegation battle.
On the other side of town, FC Barcelona is already cooling the champagne for the title celebrations. Robert Lewandowski has netted 19 goals in his debut season for the club as they’ve mounted a league campaign with relatively few flaws. Results like the 4-0 destruction of Real Betis and another 4-0 win against Elche have defined their imperious domestic form. The El Classico comeback victory in March only compounded that Barcelona has claimed the mantle of top Spanish club away from Real Madrid, for this season at least.
There’s an interesting gaggle of current Espanyol players who crossed the divide. Denis Suarez, Martin Braithwaite, and Aleix Vidal all experienced winning silverware with FC Barcelona. Yet now they are at the other end of the spectrum as they’re fighting for the top-flight survival of the club across the city.
Despite the juxtaposition in clubs’ stature and current season, the reverse fixture did not produce a win for Barcelona, as would be expected. Instead, Joselu scored a late penalty to earn Espanyol a point away from home. In fact, the prior game before that was another stalemate as that finished 2-2. Could they do one better and get a famous win to help them stay in La Liga?
While the history books don’t favor Espanyol in the overall head-to-head, they do hold the biggest-ever margin of victory in the Derbi Barceloní. That however was some time ago when they won 6-0, as color televisions weren’t widely available back in 1951.
If results pan out as desired, there is a possibility that FC Barcelona could lift the La Liga title here at their adversaries’ ground. Barcelona manager and former playing legend, Xavi, will no doubt be aiming to lift the title right here and lead the party all the way back to Camp Nou. Interestingly, as a player, he set some history in this game, as the player to make the most appearances in the Derbi Barceloní.
