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Barça host Espanyol looking to maintain or extend their lead at the top of the table, though they’ll have one eye on their tough Champions League return leg at the Metropolitano. The culés will be hoping to build momentum before heading to Madrid and, even with some squad rotation, will expect Espanyol to bear the brunt of their frustration after a disappointing first leg against Atlético.
Espanyol see this match as the perfect chance to hurt their eternal city rivals and claim their first victory of 2026, having recently earned a hard-fought draw away at Betis—undoubtedly one of their best results in recent weeks, and a point that will surely boost Manolo’s side’s confidence. Here are our predictions for the match.
Barcelona v Espanyol tips
Barcelona to score between one and three goals – 8/15 @ bet365
Joan García over 1.5 saves – 8/11 @ bet365
Marko Dmitrovic over 3.5 saves and Barça to have more shots – 4/11 @ bet365
Barça to score between one and three goals
Barcelona are the best home side in the league, having won all their matches at home and scored between one and three goals in every home league game, except for two (against Valencia and Sevilla). They’ve also hit that range in seven of their last eleven official matches and in nine of the last ten derbies against Espanyol.
Tip: Barcelona to score between one and three goals – 8/15 @ bet365
Bet Explanation: This bet wins if Barcelona score, but do not reach four goals.
Joan García, two or more saves
The Catalan keeper, signed by Barcelona from Espanyol, has been one of the standout performers for the culés this season, making two or more saves in 10 of the last 12 matches where he’s faced at least two shots on target. The only exceptions were the last two games against Atlético de Madrid. Joan García also put in a superb display in the reverse fixture against Espanyol, and his former teammates will no doubt be eager to test him again. As for Espanyol, the draw at Betis was the first official match since their visit to the Bernabéu in September, where they failed to register at least two shots on target.
Tip: Joan García over 1.5 saves – 8/11 @ bet365
Bet Explanation: This bet wins if Joan García makes two or more saves during the match
Dmitrovic, four or more saves, and Barça with more shots
In four of the last five matches where he’s faced at least four shots on target, Marko Dmitrovic has made the required four or more saves to land this bet. The same happened in the reverse fixture between Espanyol and Barça. Given that Barcelona are the league’s top scorers, take the most shots, and have the most on-target efforts in La Liga, we expect them to test him plenty and finish the match with more total attempts than Espanyol.
Tip: Marko Dmitrovic over 3.5 saves and Barça to have more shots – 4/11 @ bet365
Bet Explanation: This bet wins if Dmitrovic makes four or more saves and Barcelona have more shots than Espanyol
Barça - Espanyol odds
Odds correct at the time of writing, subject to change.
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Odds correct at the time of writing, subject to change.