LFP | J33 | RCD Espanyol vs FC Barcelona

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RCD Espanyol vs FC Barcelona
Cornellà-El Prat (Cornella) | Sat, Apr 25 | 16:00 CET


We go across town this weekend to face our old foes and city rivals Espanyol in a game that could possibly go as far as deciding the destination of this season's La Liga title with this, aside from the trip to the Calderon later to come, being earmarked as Barca's toughest remaining game on the schedule. A win here could put the Blaugrana well and truly in the driving seat for the championship.

With that said, city derbies are never easy and Espanyol will make life more than difficult for Barca as they'll want to avoid seeing trophy parading in the summer from their opposite numbers. Barca's away record to Espanyol has been good in recent years though with the last defeat coming at their old Estadi Olimpic ground in 2007 when Rijkaard's men lost 3-1. The team will be looking to extend that run in the push for a 23rd Spanish title this year.

Everyone is expected to be available with all 23 players having made the matchday squad for the midweek win over PSG. Enrique will certainly be more than happy to have all of his options available to him now at the most crucial stage of the season.

My predicted lineup:

Bravo
Alves --- Pique --- Mascherano --- Alba
Rafinha --- Busquets --- Iniesta
Messi --- Suarez --- Neymar

This would have been a good chance to rest Messi, this and the Cordoba match.

BarrileteCosmico wrote:This would have been a good chance to rest Messi, this and the Cordoba match.

Who has a ball to tell him?

Comfortable game. Glad to see Espanyol is no longer the scary fixture it once was in recent years

With bayern's game coming up MSN has to fully fit if barca has to have any chance of going through . Dont know how barca is gonna survive the intense pressing from bayern considering that messi wont press . How is barca going to stand against  bayerns wing play ?

For the good of the team messi must rest

Rest Messi and we wouldn't won this game.

I liked the way we played in the first half.Patient passing with the ball.Probe and probe and then a couple of fast passes to create a chance.Liked the way Messi played in the first half.In the absence of Xavi,he has taken on more and more of a playmaking role.Triangular passing in midfield to keep the ball and progress the play.His finishing has definitely regressed a lot the last couple of years.Missed another couple of sitters.
Suarez once more with an excellent game.

Messi's finishing has been sup par this season tbh.. He needs a rest asap. goatrez and neymagic can handle it till the buyern games at least.
Btw, barca would easily see off espanyol without messi. Not like it matters anyway, as left for hamonica, barca would struggle to beat even chesterfield without messi.

Not really sure how to explain the regression in his finishing.

It's not a lack of confidence and generally players don't really regress in their finishing...

Thankfully this year he has support. Clearly he can't carry the team's scoring responsibilities alone and he he shouldn't anyway

How many games left in the season?

If iniesta can play how he played in last two games we can win next two games without Messi....
Neymar and suarez alone cant carry,not yet...

5 games left vs
Getafe (H)
Cordoba (A)
Real Sociedad (H)
A. Madrid (A)
Deportivo (H)

would be great winning the trophy in last match day at home

Hope Real stumble in the following weeks and we have a cushion going into the Atleti game. And thankfully the Sociedad game is at home

cant see R.Socieded taking points from us twice the same season though. A. Madrid cant win the league, neither they will have chance for second spot(5 points difference) nor they will have risk to loose 3rd spot (6 points difference). So would be interesting to know the feeling of their fans about game vs us. Because a win vs. us could practically give their rivals the trophy (considering madrid and all other teams would mantain similar point difference till then)

Yea, I think the fans would want them to give us the league, but the players and coach will always play to win, and we will be 3/4 days removed from playing Bayern away. Atleti will be a scary tie

Atletico will definitely be a scary tie and we need 4 points deposit before that. thats why i was so furious with pique's mistake vs. sevilla in last moment. still cant forget it..