Hansi Flick’s red-hot Barcelona prepare to host RCD Espanyol for the first Catalan derby of the season.

Barcelona can build a nine-point lead in La Liga after their dominant win over Real Madrid in last weekend’s El Clasico. Los Blancos will not play this weekend due to the severe flooding that has tragically affected several areas in Spain over the past week.

After fantastic performances against two of Europe’s top clubs, the Blaugranas have the chance to hand their Catalan rivals an eighth defeat in La Liga, which could see Los Periquitos slip into the relegation zone. Barcelona are unbeaten against Espanyol in their last 26 league games, an ominous precedent for Los Periquitos, who are currently 20 points behind the leaders.

Given that this looks like a much easier match on paper compared to the previous week’s opponents, Flick might be tempted to shuffle his starting XI and give players who have recently returned from injury a chance from the start to play.

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GK: Iñaki Peña—Peña kept a sublime clean sheet in El Clasico and looked like a goalkeeper worthy of the starting role for Barcelona with one of the best performances of his young career.

LB: Alejandro Baldé—Baldé continued his strong start to the season with a pinpoint assist in El Clásico. His speed and technique make him a very dangerous player in the future.

CB: Pau Cubarsí—Cubarsi plays with a maturity that is unusual for a 17-year-old.

CB: Iñigo Martínez—The leader of Barca’s defense is the perfect man to lead Flick’s highline system, which has seen Real Madrid players sidelined more than ten times in El Clasico.

RB: Jules Koundé—The Frenchman neutralized Vinícius Júnior and Serge Gnabry in consecutive matches.

CM: Frenkie de Jong—The Dutchman had a good cameo in El Clásico and was able to earn his first start for Barcelona since April’s visit to the Santiago Bernabéu.

CM: Gavi—It may be too early, but the intensity and fearlessness of a Gavi are perfect for a derby like this. The former Kopa Trophy winner has featured as a substitute in Barca’s last three games.

LW: Raphinha—The Brazilian has scored ten goals in Barça’s last five games. He is in the form of his life and has been a major reason for Flick’s early success.

AM: Dani Olmo—Olmo’s impressive start to his Barcelona career was interrupted by an injury that kept him out for more than a month. After a few positive cameos, the Catalan derby could see the Euro 2024 winner return to the XI.

RW: Lamine Yamal—In a week that saw him become the youngest goalscorer in El Clásico history and the youngest-ever winner of the Kopa Trophy, Yamal was able to add the icing on the cake with his first-ever Catalan derby goal.

ST: Robert Lewandowski—The Polish striker has recently enjoyed ten goals in Barca’s last five games.

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