Espanyol vs Barcelona Head to Head: Catalan Giants Eye Crucial Derby Win to Protect La Liga Lead

After a long holiday break, the players are ready to return to action, and both Barcelona and Espanyol will begin their 2026 campaign with the Derby de Barcelona. It promises to be a high-intensity start to the new year for both sides. Barcelona will be aiming to protect their position at the top of the table in the third most watched league in the world. The Catalan giants currently sit first with 46 points, showing strong form and consistency this season. Their city rivals Espanyol, face a different challenge. They enter the derby in fifth place, fighting to secure a UEFA Champions League qualification spot alongside Villarreal, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.

Espanyol and Barcelona are the only teams coming to this gameweek with 5 games unbeaten. Not only does this unbeaten streak of games make the Espanyol Vs Barcelona derby a very hyped up match, but it's also closely monitored by fans worldwide as ex-Espanyol Goalkeeper Joan Garcia will be facing his boyhood club, which gave him a reputation, in the Blaugrana colors. Additionally, the Barcelona Vs Espanyol head to head numbers add up to this derby hype.

Espanyol vs Barcelona Head to Head: Overall Record

The Espanyol vs Barcelona head to head table shows the long-standing rivalry record between both teams across all major competitions. While the hosts located just a few kilometres away from Camp Nou, did cause problems for the Catalan giants on their home ground, that pressure rarely converted into comfortable wins. Barcelona, however, has a dominant record against RCD Espanyol at the RCDE Stadium, consistently asserting their superiority in the derby over the years.

In total, both teams have played 43 matches in the Barcelona vs Espanyol head to head and Barcelona appears as the side with the most wins, winning almost 70% of the games. On the other hand, Espanyol have only won 4 games, but have troubled Barcelona 11 times with both teams sharing a point in these fixtures.

Breaking the Barcelona vs Espanyol h2h into venue-based performance, the Blaugrana have completely dominated both stadiums, Camp Nou and RCDE Stadium. While at the neutral venue, Espanyol have troubled Barcelona.

The long-standing Barcelona vs Espanyol rivalry will witness its 44th meeting on 3 January 2026, marking the opening match of the new year for both teams. It promises to be an intense derby, as both sides return to action with a clear objective, to strengthen their position in the league table.

Espanyol Vs Barcelona Stats

The stats of Espanyol Vs Barcelona head to head shows the complete dominance of the Catalan giant in the derby as they have scored a total of 48 goals against their city rivals and have only conceded 11 goals, thanks to the services of legendary goalkeeper Victor Valdes and the former Barcelona captain Ter Stegen who stood strongly between the sticks and made sure Espanyol players didnt score against the team.

Espanyol do have an edge when it comes to the number of fouls, as the FC Barcelona rivals have always made sure their opponent have a tough time taking 3 points from the fixture. Their players have been booked 68 times, including 5 red card offences.

The number of goals Barcelona Vs Espanyol derby has seen, mixed with the physicality it brings, makes the upcoming game a must-watch for fans around the globe. This fixture promises an action-packed night full of drama.

All-Time Top Scorers in Espanyol vs Barcelona

No one has scored more goals (23) than the legendary Barcelona player Lionel Messi in this Spanish rivalry. In the second position, we have another prominent figure from the trio of Messi, Neymar and Suarez, that is El Pistorelo, who has scored 11 goals for Barca. This list of all-time top scorers is almost taken over by the Barcelona players, with only 2 names representing the Pericos.

Since the last 5 years, 2 players have most goals on their name in the derby, namely Lewandowski and Dani Olmo

Espanyol Vs Barcelona H2H: Biggest Wins

Barcelona vs Espanyol rivalry will soon complete its 100 years and in this journey, Barcelona have humbled their rivals many a time, showing Barcelona’s clear dominance over the years. The most recent big margin victory came on 9 September 2017 when FC Barcelona thrashed Espanyol 5-0 at home. A similar result followed on 8 May 2016, with another humilating 5-0 win.

Barcelona also secured a commanding 4-0 away victory on 8 December 2018, proving their strength even on Espanyol’s home turf. Earlier encounters include a 5-1 win in December 2014 and a 4-0 triumph in January 2013, both played at Camp Nou. These results underline Barcelona’s attacking power and consistent superiority in high-profile derby matches, often turning the Catalan clash into a one-sided affair despite Espanyol’s strong defense.