Barcelona is on the verge of celebrating their return to the top of La Liga. Avoiding defeat against local rivals Espanyol away from home is all Hansi Flick`s side needs on Thursday to secure the league title, adding it to the Spanish Super Cup and Copa del Rey trophies already won this season. While Espanyol have done enough to guarantee their La Liga survival after returning to the top flight, they might find it hard to stop Barcelona`s attack, which has challenged the entire league this year.
Robert Lewandowski is also competing with Kylian Mbappe for the La Liga Golden Boot, providing Barcelona with extra motivation to score as many goals as possible. Having been denied a chance to win the league without playing due to a late winner from Real Madrid on Wednesday, Barcelona is determined to finish the job now that their fate is in their own hands.
Match Details
- Date: Thursday, May 15
- Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
- Location: RCDE Stadium — Cornella de Llobregat, Spain
- Live stream: ESPN+
- Odds: Espanyol +700; Draw. +425; Barcelona -280
Barcelona`s Title Scenarios
To clinch the La Liga title on Thursday, Barcelona needs to either win or draw against Espanyol.
Last Meeting
In their last encounter in Barcelona, Dani Olmo was the standout player, scoring two goals in the first half. As is often their style, Barcelona started scoring early, finding the net just 12 minutes in and building a 3-1 lead by halftime. Espanyol managed to pull one goal back, but it wasn`t enough, ultimately losing 3-1 – a respectable scoreline against Barcelona.
Key Analysis
Barcelona to lead at half: With the title at stake, Barcelona has strong incentives to start the game aggressively, which is their usual approach anyway. Expect Barcelona to come out quickly, aiming to begin the celebrations by halftime before ultimately securing the La Liga title.
Predicted Lineups
Espanyol:
- Joan Garcia
- Omar El Hilali
- Marash Kumbulla
- Leandro Cabrera
- Carlos Romero
- Edu Exposito
- Urko Gonzalez
- Jofre Carreras
- Alex Kral
- Javier Puado
- Roberto Fernandez
Barcelona:
- Wokciech Szczesny
- Gerard Martin
- Pau Cubarsi
- Ronald Araujo
- Eric Garcia
- Pedri
- Frenkie De Jong
- Raphinha
- Dani Olmo
- Lamine Yamal
- Ferran Torres
Player to Watch
Lamine Yamal, Barcelona: It seems unfair to highlight just one player in Barcelona`s attack, which is always exciting to watch, but what Yamal is doing is truly unprecedented. At just 17, Yamal has already played over 100 games for Barcelona and has become a crucial winger for both his club and the Spanish national team. Comparisons at this age are rare, but the only names that come to mind are Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, both of whom he is statistically ahead of at this stage. It`s impossible to look away when Yamal is on the ball; his vision is impressive, allowing him to create opportunities from anywhere on the pitch.
Prediction
Barcelona is expected to score early and often in this match, putting up a high number of goals. With Raphinha chasing the Ballon d`Or and Lewandowski pursuing the Golden Boot, Barcelona will maintain offensive pressure even after securing the result, as there are significant individual honors still to play for. Final Score Prediction: Espanyol 1, Barcelona 5
