Thursday 006 La Liga > Espanyol VS Barcelona Red and Blue Storm swept the relegation battlefield 2025-05-16 03: 30

When the roar of relegation hits the horn of the championship, at 3:30 a.m. on May 16, the Catalonian derby will ignite smoke at the RCDE Stadium. In the 36th round of La Liga, this life-and-death battle is tied to Espanyol's relegation lifeline at one end and Barcelona's league championship at the other end. Every goal and every fight will be given extraordinary significance. The "Parrot Legion"

, which is in the 16th position in the standings, is currently standing on the edge of a cliff. The 5-point relegation advantage seems acceptable, but with only three rounds of pressure left in the league, each game is a decisive battle that cannot be lost. After losing to Leganes 2-3 in the last round away game, the team's locker room was filled with a depressing atmosphere. Coach Diego Martinez repeatedly deduced in front of the tactical board, trying to find a way to break the deadlock against a strong enemy. Home has always been the most solid fortress for Espanyol. This season, he only suffered 1 loss in 8 home games, and 64% of his points were won here. Fans waved blue and white flags to create a deafening sound, and this home aura often made the visiting players feel fearful. On the offensive end, 25-year-old winger Puado can be called the team's "counterattack arrow". He successfully broke through 46 times and ranked third in the La Liga winger list. His speed can instantly tear open the opponent's defense line. It is worth mentioning that he can create 0.23 shots per dribbling, and Barcelona's full-backs must always be vigilant. In addition, the team's set-piece tactics are even more damning. This season, 9 set-piece goals account for 35% of the total goals. Central defender Kafrara, who is 1.89 meters tall, has become the "air overlord" in the penalty area with his 19% heading conversion rate. However, injuries and suspensions have brought considerable challenges to the Spaniard's deployment. Defender Brian Oliven continues to be absent due to calf injury, right back Omar El Hillary has suspended the game with a cumulative yellow card. Fortunately, Por Lozano returned to the team after recovering from injury, and his comeback may inject new vitality into the midfield. Faced with Barcelona's powerful offensive, Espanyol will surely set up an iron barrel formation, with defensive counterattack as the main strategy, waiting for an opportunity to seize the loopholes in the opponent's defense line and give a fatal blow.

aimed at the crown "Red and Blue Giants"

Barcelona leads the standings with a 7-point advantage. The road to winning the championship is close. Just get 2 more points to be crowned the league champion in advance. The team is full of morale. The classic battle to reverse Real Madrid 4-3 at home has made the players feel full of confidence. Coach Xavi focused on practicing high-pressure and fast transmission tactics in training, striving to continue his hot form away. The "dream combination" composed of the offensive trident Lewandowski, Yamal and Rafinia is an existence that scares all opponents. The 17-year-old talented teenager Yamal's net worth soared to 180 million euros, with a 3.8 average of 3.8 times a game ahead of La Liga. He directly participated in 18 goals this season, and has contributed 3 goals and 2 assists in the last 5 games. His smart running position and excellent dribbling skills often create offensive opportunities in a small space. Polish striker Lewandowski still maintains his terrifying goal efficiency. 8 of the 15 league goals this season came from away games, and 67% of his ability to seize opportunities in the penalty area made him the decisive needle for Barcelona to attack the city and the village. However, there are still hidden dangers in Barcelona's defense line. Data on conceding 12 goals in the last 10 games show that the full-back’s failure to return to defense after assisting and the mismatch of cooperation between the central defenders have given the opponent many opportunities to counterattack. Mark Bernal has been injured for a long time, Jules Conde and Pablo Torre are absent due to injuries, and Inigo Martinez has suspended the game with a cumulative yellow card, which has forced Xavi to consider carefully when deploying the team. Facing the threat of Espanyol's set-piece and Puado's speed impact, how to stabilize the defense will be the key to determining the direction of the game.

Score prediction

Combining the strength, state, lineup and tactical characteristics of both sides, this game is very likely to be a wonderful game of offense and defense. Barcelona has an advantage in overall strength and a strong desire to win, but Espanyol's home fighting ability and relegation determination should not be underestimated. I predict Barcelona will beat Espanyol 3-1 and secure the league title ahead of schedule on the road. However, football matches are changing rapidly. If Espanyol can seize the opportunity, they are fully capable of rewriting the script and presenting a classic counterattack battle to the fans. Let us look forward to the arrival of this Catalonia derby and witness another exciting chapter of La Liga