Football

How to Watch Espanyol vs Barcelona: Catalan Derby Preview, Team News, Lineups, Head-to-Head, & Prediction

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Sushan Chakraborty
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Sushan Chakraborty Sports Editor

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Published12 May 2025

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After slaying bitterest foes, Real Madrid, Barcelona will make the short trip to crosstown rivals Espanyol for their LaLiga Matchday 36 clash on Thursday, May 15.

For all Cules out there, SportsCasting breaks down how to watch the ever-fiery Catalan derby between Espanyol and Barcelona, with the LaLiga leaders just one win away from clinching the 2024-25 title.

How to Watch Espanyol vs Barcelona in LaLiga

How to Watch Espanyol vs Barcelona for Free in the UK

Barcelona fans in the UK can watch the potential LaLiga crowning clash between Espanyol and the Blaugrana for free on Thursday, May 15. The game will be telecast for free on ITV 4 at 8:30 PM BST. Cord-cutters, too, can watch the Catalan derby for free by logging in to ITV’s free streaming platform, ITVX.

Paid Options

As always, Premier Sports will also carry the LaLiga game this week. You can tune in to Premier Sports 1 to watch the game on TV at 8:30 PM on May 15.

If you would rather stream the game, the Premier Sports Player and LaLigaTV have you covered.

Also Read: How to Watch Real Madrid vs Mallorca

How to Watch Espanyol vs Barcelona in the US

In the United States, ESPN and ESPN Deportes (Spanish) will telecast the battle between Espanyol and Barcelona at 3:30 PM ET / 12:30 PM PT on Thursday, May 15.

Streamers, meanwhile, can watch the game live via ESPN+ and FuboTV USA. The latter offers a free trial for new s.

How to Watch Espanyol vs Barcelona in Canada

Canadian fans can only stream the game between Espanyol and Barcelona at 3:30 PM ET / 12:30 PM PT on Thursday, May 15, as no TV channel has picked up the rights.

TSN+ and DAZN (on-demand) will carry the game.

Espanyol vs Barcelona: Team News & Lineups

Espanyol

Manolo Gonzalez only has minor injury concerns to deal with for the mid-week clash with Barcelona. Defender Brian Olivan and midfielder Pol Lozano are carrying knocks, and a late fitness test will determine their availability.

Potential Espanyol XI (4-2-3-1): Garcia; El Hilali, Kumbulla, Cabrera, Romero; Lozano, Gonzalez; Carreras, Exposito, Fernandez; Puado;

Barcelona

Hansi Flick’s Barcelona, meanwhile, will be without first-choice right back Jules Kounde and first-teamers Marc Bernal (ACL), Marc Casado (knee), and Pablo Torre (knee) for the clash on Thursday. Inigo Martinez is suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards, while Pau Cubarsi’s stomach injury will require a late review.

Potential Espanyol XI (4-2-3-1): Szczesny; Garcia, Araujo, Christensen, Balde; De Jong, Pedri; Yamal, Gavi, Raphinha; Lewandowski;

Espanyol vs Barcelona: Recent Form & Head-to-Head

Espanyol

The second-biggest club in Catalonia find themselves in 16th place in the LaLiga rankings after 35 rounds of fixtures. They currently sit five points above the drop zone, so they are not mathematically safe just yet.

In their previous LaLiga outing, Espanyol suffered a 3-2 defeat away at Leganes. The setback extended their winless run to four games in the Spanish top flight.

Recent Form in LaLiga: L-L-L-D-W

Barcelona

Barcelona have by far the best team in LaLiga this season. They have played eye-catching football, scored an abundance of goals, and never let their heads drop, even after conceding early goals. Their attacking flair and indomitable spirit were best demonstrated on Matchday 35, as they came from two goals down to claim a potential title-defining 4-3 victory over Real Madrid.

With a seven-point lead over Madrid and only three games to play, Barca can seal the title with a win over their noisy neighbours on Thursday.

Recent Form in LaLiga: W-W-W-W-W

Espanyol vs Barcelona Head-to-Head

The two Catalan rivals have met 217 times in all competitions so far. Barca have been utterly dominant, bagging 127 wins. Espanyol, meanwhile, have won 44 games while 46 matches have ended in a draw.

In their previous meeting earlier in the 2024-25 LaLiga season, Barca claimed a 3-1 win over Espanyol.

Espanyol vs Barcelona Prediction

Hansi Flick’s Barcelona will be champions, and annoyingly for Espanyol, it will happen in their backyard this Thursday. Considering how formidable Barca have been this season, we cannot see anything but a commanding victory this week.

SportsCasting’s Prediction: Espanyol 1-4 Barcelona