Barcelona Vs Espanyol - Live Stream

Date- Wednesday, June 18, 2020 Kick-Off – 23:00 Mecca Channel – 13HD 

Aarran Summers

Time is ticking for Barcelona. Their 2-2 draw with Atletico Madrid ended their eight-game winning run, and they now find themselves four points adrift of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga. Disappointing results against Atletico, Celta Vigo and Sevilla have handed Barca fans a nightmare, the like they have not witnessed since 2017 when Zinedine Zidane’s side last won the league title. 

Barcelona were top of the league when Quique Setien replaced Ernesto Valverde in January. His shock dismissal was in part due to the club’s shocking defeats in the UEFA Champions League knock-out stage. Valverde enjoyed great success domestically, but his former club could now face the humiliating transfer of power to their great rival. 

Barcelona are heavy favourites to beat Espanyol on Wednesday, but any slip up could see Setien look towards their UEFA Champions League campaign with Napoli, their next opponents. 

In team news, Frenkie de Jong is out while Samuel Umtiti still recovers from a knee complaint. 

Barcelona Predicted Team
Ter Stegen, Semedo, Pique, Lenglet, Alba, Roberto, Busquets, Vidal, Messi, Suarez, Griezmann

Espanyol’s 1-0 defeat to Leganes in a relegation six-pointer last weekend has almost assured the Catalan side relegation. La Liga’s bottom side are currently on 24 points and 11 points from safety with 12 points on offer. Francisco Rufete’s team require a miracle to remain in the division. Anything other than a victory against Barcelona will end their 26-year reign in Spain’s top flight.

Espanyol’s plight was a far cry from last season when they qualified for the UEFA Europa League. Rufete was riding on the crest of a wave after securing Espanyol’s best league finish in over fifteen years. Now the pendulum has swung, and this campaign has become Espanyol’s worst season in more than 30 years. 

The host’s form will give very little hope to even the most ardent and optimistic of supporters. Espanyol have not won in their last seven away league games. However, Espanyol did equalise late against Barcelona in the reverse fixture earlier this season.

In team news, Espanyol has a mountain to climb with forward Jonathan Calleri suspended for the tie. Pipa is a doubt with a muscular problem. 

Espanyol Predicted Team
D. Lopez, J. Lopez, Espinosa, Cabrera, Vila, Roca, D. Lopez, Darder, Melendo, Embarba, Tomas

Espanyol are 90 minutes away from ending their near four decades run in La Liga. Barcelona know anything but a win will not only condemn their local rival but also impact their chances of taking the title. You can follow all the action via beIN CONNECT.