Espanyol vs Barcelona predictions and betting tips – Blaugrana face local rivals

Barcelona begin 2026 as La Liga leaders and favourites to win the title. A fine run of form before Christmas, combined with a disappointing spell for Real Madrid, meant Barcelona enjoyed their festive break.

Their campaign resumes against local rivals Espanyol, who would love to throw a spanner in Barcelona’s works. Will they be able to do so?

• Barcelona to win and over 2.5 goals – 9/10 with Betfred
• Barcelona to win the first half – 9/10 with Spreadex
• Raphinha to score any time – Evens with BetVictor

Espanyol vs Barcelona odds

Find the latest Espanyol vs Barcelona betting odds here. All odds are provided by our recommended football bookmakers and are subject to change.

Espanyol vs Barcelona predictions

Barcelona ended 2025 with a fantastic run of form that saw them rise to the top of La Liga.

A 2-1 defeat in the Clasico at the end of October left Barcelona feeling glum, as Real Madrid opened up a five-point lead at the summit of the standings.

There has been much focus on Madrid’s patchy run of form since then, but Barcelona’s consistent excellence should not be overlooked. Eight consecutive victories announced the return of Hansi Flick’s side as a force to be reckoned with in Spain’s top tier.

Barcelona defeated Elche, Celta Vigo, Athletic Bilbao, Alaves, Atletico Madrid, Real Betis, Osasuna and Villarreal in that sequence. Five of those teams are in the top eight, so the charge of Barca being flat-track bullies does not stand up to scrutiny. 

It has not been entirely plain sailing for the Blaugrana over the last couple of months. There is work for Flick’s men to do in the Champions League, where a 3-3 draw with Club Brugge and 3-0 loss to Chelsea have put them on course for the play-offs.

Back home, however, Barcelona are sitting pretty in top spot with a four-point advantage over Real Madrid. The gap between the pair would grow to seven points if Barca beat Espanyol, with Madrid’s game against Real Betis coming on Sunday.

Both clubs will be involved in the Supercopa de España next week, along with Atlético Madrid and Athletic Bilbao. But although silverware is on the line in Saudi Arabia, Barcelona will be fully focused on this weekend’s game for now.

Flick’s team have once again relied on their attacking firepower this season. With 51 goals in 18 games, they are by far the leading scorers in La Liga. Madrid are second in the league on that measure, yet they have found the back of the net 15 fewer times than their chief adversaries.

Espanyol would love nothing better than to derail their neighbours, Barcelona, this weekend. This is not a rivalry between two equals, but that does not mean it is not keenly felt – especially among supporters of the smaller side.

Espanyol and Barcelona originally clashed because, while the latter was always a symbol of Catalan nationalism, the former had ties to the political regime in Madrid. That dividing line is less relevant these days, yet Espanyol vs Barcelona is still a significant derby in Spain.

Espanyol vs Barcelona betting tips

Barcelona make the short trip across the city to face local rivals Espanyol on Saturday.

Barcelona to come through unscathed

Espanyol finished 14th in La Liga last season, having been promoted back to the top flight the previous year.

Consolidation was the objective at the start of this campaign, too, yet as the midway point approaches, Espanyol are exceeding expectations.

Manolo Gonzalez’s team are flying high in fifth place, just two points behind Villarreal in fourth. European football no longer seems like a pipe dream.

However, Espanyol are likely to be brought back down to earth by Barcelona, whose superior attacking quality will make the difference on Saturday.

Expect at least three goals at the RCDE Stadium – there have been over 2.5 in 13 of Barcelona’s last 15 league matches.

Choose Barcelona to win and over 2.5 goals at 9/10 with Betfred

Barca want lead at break

Barcelona have been ahead at half-time in 10 out of 18 La Liga games this term, the joint-highest figure in the division.

Espanyol, on the other hand, have an average record from minutes one to 45. They sit 11th in the first-half table, compared to third in the second-half equivalent.

Flick will encourage his side to make a fast start in a bid to quieten down the Espanyol crowd.

Barcelona’s players will be chomping at the bit after two weeks off over Christmas, and they should dominate proceedings in the opening period.

Tip Barcelona to win the first half at 9/10 with Spreadex

Raphinha one to watch

After spending around two months on the treatment table, some felt that it would take Raphinha a while to rediscover his rhythm upon returning to the Barcelona team.

Not so. The Brazil international has picked up from where he left off, scoring three goals in his last two La Liga outings.

Raphinha was a revelation in Flick’s first season at the helm, as the German tactician got the best out of the former Leeds United forward.

Raphinha is a menace in and around the penalty area, and if a chance falls to him on his left foot, he will probably take it.

Back Raphinha to score any time at evens with BetVictor

Espanyol vs Barcelona predicted lineups

• Espanyol expected lineup: Dmitrovic; El Hilali, Calero, Cabrera, Romero; Gonzalez, Edu, Lozano; Dolan, Fernandez, Milla.
• Barcelona expected lineup: J. Garcia; Kounde, Cubarsi, E. Garcia, Balde; Pedri, De Jong; Yamal, Lopez, Raphinha; Torres.

Where to watch Espanyol vs Barcelona

• Location: RCDE Stadium, Barcelona, Spain.
• Date and time: Saturday 3rd January, 8pm.
• How to watch: Disney+.

More LaLiga predictions

We have plenty more LaLiga predictions and picks – find our latest betting tips from expert punters in our match preview overview.

About the author

Greg Lea

Greg Lea is a freelance football writer from London. He predominantly covers the Premier League and has had work published by the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.

Follow Greg on X: @GregLeaFootball

Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org

Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

• Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
• Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
• Never chase their losses
• Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
• Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
• GambleAware – www.gambleaware.org

Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.

For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.