Saturday, November 2, 2024, 16:35
Strange derby if ever there is one that will be played this Sunday in Montjuic. It will be because of the shock in which the entire country is immersed after the tragedy in Valencia and also because it will be a duel in which Espanyol will play in Barcelona‘s field and will feel at home. Twelve years the parakeets were at Lluis Companys, who will dress in their best clothes to support a team, Hansi Flick’s, which is still in a state of euphoria and could end the day nine points ahead of Real Madrid, although with a one more game after the postponement of the duel that Carlo Ancelotti’s team had to face in Mestalla.
«A derby against Espanyol is a difficult match for us. After a great week it is very important to play at one hundred percent, that we focus on intensity. It is important to demonstrate the quality we have,” said Flick in the press conference prior to his team’s match against the city rival. The German coach, who assured that “he would have suspended the day”, did not want to fall into overconfidence despite the distance he maintains with his pursuers in the League and assured that “the road to the title is long.”
That is why Flick does not want to relax on a weekend that could serve to increase the distance with Madrid. The whites have not been able to play their match against Valencia and that leaves the culés with the possibility of extending their lead in the standings to nine points with one more game. That is the objective of a Barça that enters the derby after scoring five goals against Sevilla, four against Bayern and four more against the eternal rival. Euphoria has been unleashed in Barcelona and the German coach knows that it is time to make the most of that moment.
With that idea in mind, Flick will put the best he has into the fray. «I always think about the next game. Now Espanyol and then we’ll see,” he said at a press conference to rule out rotations before the Champions League match against Red Star next Wednesday. Barça will therefore play with a structure similar to the one that gave them such good results at the Santiago Bernabéu. Iñaki Peña will remain in goal, Iñigo Martínez and Cubarsí will be the centre-backs, Casadó and Pedri will have the keys in midfield and the big news could be the presence of Dani Olmo behind Raphinha, Lamine Yamal and Lewandowski.
A rival not to trust
It is a derby and Barcelona already knows that Espanyol is not a team they should trust. Not even the twenty points of distance that separate the two teams after eleven games are enough for the culé fan to think that it will be a bed of roses. And the parakeets have always been a stumbling block traditionally and they will ‘travel’ to Montjuic, their old home, wanting to spoil the party for the Blaugranas and needing to score points.
The team led by Manolo González is flirting with relegation after adding ten points from the first 33 at stake. For this reason, he will look for a fight against the leader with all his troops except for the injured José Gragera, Edu Expósito, Fernando Calero and Pol Lozano. Confidence is prohibited even for a Barça that can end the week, once again, reinforced and getting in the way of its pursuers.
-Probable alignments:
Barcelona: Iñaki Peña, Koundé, Cubarsí, Iñigo Martínez, Balde, Casadó, Pedri, Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Raphinha y Lewandowski.
Spanish: Joan Garcia, El Hilali, Kumbulla, Cabrera, Brian Oliván, Álvaro Tejero, Alex Kral, Pere Milla, Jofre, Javi Puado and Cheddira.
Referee: Munuera Montero (Andalusian Committee).
Stadium: Lluis Companys.
Time and TV: 4:15 p.m. DAZN.
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