Barca heal in the derby – between the Champions League and a step from the title

Barcelona return to domestic action on afternoon as they host local rivals Espanyol at Camp Nou, looking to quickly recover from their Champions League quarterfinal disappointment.

Their ambitions of winning a first European title since 2015 suffered a major blow after Atletico Madrid overturned last week’s 2–1 defeat, capitalizing on Pau Cubarsí’s first-half red card. A predictable finish from Alexander Sorloth, following Julian Alvarez’s superb free-kick, left Barca with a difficult task heading into the second leg at the Metropolitano.

Espanyol arrive with hopes of disrupting that momentum and potentially narrowing the gap for Los Blancos. Manolo Gonzalez’s side are mid-table in 10th place, but their form heading into the derby is concerning.

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What once looked like a push for European qualification has faded, with Espanyol now without a win in their last 12 matches. By contrast, Barcelona’s effort while down a man in midweek showed resilience, and there is growing belief within the club that Flick’s squad can still produce something special in Europe next week.

That context also makes this derby an opportunity to extend their league advantage, especially after Real Madrid’s draw with Girona. Barcelona are reportedly considering starting Pedri and De Jong together in next week’s second leg against Atletico, meaning De Jong could feature for the first time since February 22 after returning to training.

Marc Bernal picked up an injury after coming off the bench in Madrid last week and subsequently missed the first leg, leaving him doubtful for the derby, while Gavi is in line for a first La Liga start of the season.

Raphinha remains sidelined in attack, and Flick may opt to rest Lamine Yamal. Roony Bardghji could be handed minutes on the right flank, while Marcus Rashford is expected to continue on the opposite side.

Ahead of the match against Espanyol, Hansi Flick addressed potential rotation: "We'll see, of course we have to take care of the players and manage their minutes, as always. We have a lot of quality in this team and whoever plays tomorrow will do fantastic."

LA LIGA ROUND 31

Friday

Real Madrid - Girona 1-1 (0-0)

/Valverde 51 - Lemar 62/

Saturday

15.00: (1.75) Sociedad (3.60) Alaves (4.90)

17.15: (2.50) Elche (3.30) Valencia (2.85)

19.30: (1.28) Barcelona (6.00) Espanyol (9.50)

22.00: (2.90) Sevilla (3.25) Atl.Madrid (2.50)

Sunday

15.00: (2.30) Osasuna (3.40) Betis (3.10)

17.15: (2.45) Mallorca (3.20) Rayo Vallecano (3.00)

19.30: (1.75) Celta (3.50) Oviedo (5.00)

22.00: (2.35) Ath.Bilbao (3.40) Villareal (3.00)

Monday

22.00: (2.75) Levante (2.95) Getafe (2.85)

***odds are subject to change***