Barcelona v Espanyol: Prediction, Tips and Odds

After thrashing their great rivals Real Madrid 4-0 at the Bernabeu last weekend, Barcelona are back in La Liga action on Sunday when they entertain their lowly neighbours Espanyol.

Hansi Flick’s side produced a special performance to silence the fans at the iconic venue and opened up a six-point gap on Carlo Ancelotti’s team at the top of La Liga.

Barca will look to back up that brilliant showing with another against an Espanyol side who go into the weekend just one point and one place above the relegation zone.

But the hosts will be mindful of the fact that they did not take all three points when the Parakeets last made the cross-city trip in 2022, as Joselu’s late penalty enabled them to claim a 1-1 draw at the Nou Camp.

While the Blaugrana had a free week to rest and recuperate, Espanyol regained the winning thread with a 4-0 road win of their own in the Copa del Rey on Thursday and will hope that can be a springboard to another positive display.

Barcelona v Espanyol betting tips and predictions

Barcelona -2.5, -3.0 Alternative Asian Handicap @ 2.050

Barca look unbeatable on the domestic scene right now and should claim a sixth win in a row in all competitions on Sunday.

Espanyol’s solitary away point from five games this season came in a 0-0 draw at the Metropolitano when Atletico Madrid couldn't find the net from 25 attempts, while also having two goals disallowed in the second half.

Manolo Gonzalez’s side have faced a league-high 172 shots across their first 11 games and have lost two of their last three away games by three goals or more.

That, when set alongside Barca’s record of having won each of their last five games by three or more goals, leads us to the alternative handicap markets.

Backing Barca at better than evens to cover a -2.5, -3.0 goal handicap would see a full return for any home victory by a four-goal margin, which they have managed in three of those last five games.

And a 3-0 or 4-1 home victory would still see a return on the half-stakes bet at -2.5.

Over 4.5 Goals @ 13/10

You have to go as high as over 4.5 to get the first odds-against price in the goals markets, but Barca’s recent record suggests their games have been good for it.

Before mauling Real the Blaugrana spanked a middling Sevilla side 5-1 in their last home league outing, so it is entirely possible that they can score five goals against their struggling city rivals.

The Parakeets have had their wings clipped away from home this season, losing four of their five road games and two of their last three results on their travels have been 4-1 defeats against Real and Athletic Bilbao.

Those scorelines should be what Flick’s team will measure themselves against when they step out at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on Sunday and Barca, who have scored five goals in three of their last eight games, are capable of taking the scoring beyond 4.5 goals by themselves.

Robert Lewandowski to score the first goal @ 12/5

Barca’s Poland international spearhead Robert Lewandowski netted twice at the Bernabeu to take his season’s tally to 14 La Liga goals.

That is seven more than the next player on the list - Ayoze Perez - and the Villarreal player is the only man to have scored more overall goals than Lewandowski’s incredible tally of six opening goals in league matches.

The former Bayern Munich man is clearly enjoying playing under Flick again and can be backed at an attractive 12/5 to open the scoring in this contest - as he has done in six of Barca’s last eight matches in all competitions.

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Barcelona v Espanyol odds

Barcelona - 1/8
Draw - 8/1
Espanyol - 18/1

View the full market and more odds for Barcelona v Espanyol on site

This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.