The FC Barcelona measures this Saturday 4 January to the RCD Espanyol in Cornellá-The Prat, with reason of the nineteenth day of LaLiga Santander 2019-20. It treats of a party that, although it can seem simple taking into account that it confronts the current leader in front of the colista of the classification, can complicate given the need of points of the 'pericos' and the factor extramotivacional with which play always in front of the Barça.

In previous seasons already has showed that, independently of the positions in the table, the Espanyol is used to to plant face to the Barcelona and even has arrived him to snatch valuable points. No sucedió the past campaign, when the culés swept of the map to the blanquiazules in his own stadium with two golazos of fault of Leo Messi, among others scorers.

The case is that the Barça wants to begin the year 2020 with good foot, and this goes through to win in Cornellá-The Prat to face the Supercopa of Spain with a greater tranquility. The ones of Ernesto Valverde have the aim to achieve three points more than allow them finish a new day like leaders in solitary, given the pressure of the Real Madrid after the triumph that have harvested the whites in front of the Getafe (0-3).

They have remained in Barcelona some important players like Arthur Melo, Ter Stegen and Ousmane Dembélé, but in spite of his respective absences the FC Barcelona will be able to range an eleven of full guarantees to carry the three points in Cornellá.

The XI of RCD Espanyol and FC Barcelona

  • XI of the RCD Espanyol: Diego López; Javi López, Bernardo, Naldo, Dídac; D. López, Marc Rock, V. Gómez, Darder, Melendo; Calleri.
  • XI of the FC Barcelona: Net; S. Roberto, Hammered, Lenglet, Jordi Alba; Busquets, Of Jong, Rakitic; Messi, Griezmann and Suárez.
  • Bench of the Barça: Iñaki Crag, Arturo Vidal, Umtiti, Junior, Semedo, Ansu Fati and Carles Pérez.

The eleven of the Barça arrives, as we say, with few novelties. Sergi Roberto will act in the right lane of the defence, with Hammered and Lenglet in the axis and Jordi Alba that returns to the eleven after the long injury that had kept him out of the terrains of game, to defend the goal of a Net Walled that it premières with the Barça in LaLiga by the injury of Ter Stegen. Of Jong, Busquets and Rakitic will complete a centre of the field of full guarantees, whereas Griezmann, Luis Suárez and Messi will form trident in attack.

The RCD Espanyol, by his part, will go out to give it everything in front of his fans with the will to win to the Barça or, at least, take out a point that allow him approach to the zone of salvation. The Barcelona knows of leftovers the dangerousness of the team blanquiazul in his stadium, and will try to cover the backs not to suffer contragolpes that can generate unexpected discontents.