The 'Xavi era' begins! Everything you need to know about Barça-Espanyol in Liga

A derbi Catalan always is synonymous of emotion, but in this opportunity has a 'ingredient' extra by the situation in which they arrive the FC Barcelona and RCD Espanyol to the party of this Saturday (to the 21:00 hours, in Spain) in the Camp Nou. Both groups add the same quantity of points (17), although the Barça has a party less, and will want to give a hit of authority on the eternal rival, in a key night for both groups.

The Barça arrives in a moment delicate, after four 'pricks' consecutive in LaLiga and with everything at stake, but with the ilusionante arrived of Xavi Hernández to the Barcelona benches, a 'signing' that has meant an injection of optimism and joy for the bench. The same players recognise that the egarense is the only able to recover to the Barça in this complicated situation and has all the confidence of the directive, footballers and fans.

Xavi lands in the bench in an important night and knowingly that the Barça won his last party of League the past 17 October and that, since, only has added two points of 12 possible, by the defeats in front of the Real Madrid (1-2) and Ray Vallecano (1-0), as well as the ties in front of the Sportive Alavés (1-1) and the fateful find front the Celtic of Vigo (3-3). The challenge is capital and to this adds the important list of drops that has the Barcelona picture: 'Kun' Agüero, Ansu Fati, Ousmane Dembélé or Pedri González.

The panorama is complicated and is not a secret for anybody, but the one of Terrassa has recognised that the feelings are very good and that will jump to the Camp Nou with the intention to remain with the three points. For the Barça of Xavi there is not another option that win and that is the message that has transmitted the trainer to the staff and also to the fans. The 'míster' understands that there is changing room to compete by all the titles and that will litigate for that.

The first proof is in front of an Espanyol that situates in the onceava position of LaLiga and that accumulates a victory, a defeat and two ties in his last four parties, but that already has showed that it can incomodar too much to teams like the Real Madrid (victory 2-1) or Athletic of Madrid, with those who were about to to remain in tables. Vicente Moreno has armed a very compact group and that has to Raúl of Tomás at most leader of face to the attack. The international with Spain is living his best moment and the 'pericos' have taken advantage of of this.

The derbi Barça-Espanyol, in data

Although the context is only and that both teams arrive, in theory, very equalised, always is important to take in account the statistics in direct clashes of the last years. It is necessary to highlight that the Barça has won 17 of his last 22 parties against the Espanyol, more five ties and leaving the goal in zero in 16 meetings during this series. Home, the Barcelona, besides, have achieved the victory of consecutive way in his last 11 clashes, whereas the 'pericos' do not win from February of 2009, by 1-2.

In this party, in concrete, were present in the field Gerard Hammered, Sergio Busquets and Xavi Hernández. By his part, the Espanyol saves a register more than negative against the Barça, with 38 ties, 34 victories and 100 defeats. However, this Saturday could happen anything because they have 'sinned', both groups, of irregularity in this start of season. The culés alone have added 17 points in his first 12 clashes of League, the second lower figure of the 21st century, after the 16 units of the 2002/2003.

Like this they arrive the Barça and Espanyol to the derbi

As we mentioned before, the Barça will receive to the Espanyol with important drops in the staff, being the case in concrete of Ousmane Dembélé, the one who still is recovering of his elongación in the semimembranoso of the left thigh, as well as Ansu Fati (muscular injury in the biceps femoral of the left thigh) or Pedri, the one who has suffered a relapse of his muscular injury in the cuádriceps of the left thigh and could be drop until 2022, to the equal that Martin Braithwaite. 'Kun' Agüero, finally, is expecting of his diagnostic by his problems cardiológicos.

In the picture of the 'pericos', also there are doubts of face to the party against the Barça. It continues the drop of Óscar Gil, in addition to the doubts with Keidi Bare and Wu Lei. In any case, Vicente Moreno has recognised in press conference that "it is necessary to do it well to win. The moment no elije. Tengo Clear that win in this field is difficult, gives the same the moment to the that go. It is necessary to brush the excellence to have options to win".

Technical index card of the party: FC Barcelona-Espanyol

• Party: FC Barcelona-Espanyol
• Competition: LaLiga
• Stadium: Camp Nou
• Television: Saturday, 20 November to the 21:00 hours (in Spain)
• Calendar 2021-2022: League Santander, Champions League, Glass of Rey