![\"\"](\"https:\/\/football-tribe.com\/malaysia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/02\/FC-Barcelona-1-0-RCD-Espanyol-Nov-2021-7-800x533.jpg\")
<\/p>\nIt\u2019s derby night in Barcelona (4am Malaysia time), as Xavi\u2019s Bar\u00e7a travel across the city to face their Catalan capital rivals.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s always a fiery affair when Espanyol host city rivals FC Barcelona at the RCDE Stadium, as it was last time these teams met there in January 2020.<\/p>\n
An 88th minute equaliser from China international Wu Lei earned Espanyol a 2-2 draw, a result that ultimately cost Ernesto Valverde his job as Bar\u00e7a coach.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A lot has happened since then. There has been a global pandemic. Espanyol have been relegated and then promoted back again. Barcelona have changed half their playing squad, their president and their coach.<\/p>\n
They now have Xavi in the dugout, who kicked off his managerial stint at his lifelong club with a narrow 1-0 derby win over los Pericos at the Camp Nou.<\/p>\n
Going into that first Catalan derby of 2021\/22, Barcelona and Espanyol were level on points, but that\u2019s no longer the case. The Blaugrana are now fourth on 38 points, while the Blanquiazules are 13th on 27 points.<\/p>\n
With three defeats and a draw from their past four league outings, the newly promoted side have slipped down the table after a bright start to the campaign.<\/p>\n
Still, Espanyol will go into this Sunday\u2019s game with all the motivation in the world.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/football-tribe.com\/malaysia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/02\/FC-Barcelona-1-0-RCD-Espanyol-Nov-2021-1-800x533.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Although they earned an impressive point against Barcelona from that 2-2 draw last time the RCDE Stadium hosted the derby, they haven\u2019t celebrated a league derby win in front of their own fans since 2007, before their current stadium was opened.<\/p>\n
As star striker and Spain international Raul De Tomas said in an interview with LaLiga World this week, the Barcelona derby \u201cmotivates you like no other fixture.\u201d<\/p>\n
There have been several draws and tight contests since then, and even a derby victory at the RCDE Stadium in a Copa del Rey first leg, but Espanyol would love to take three points away from Bar\u00e7a once more and that will be Sunday\u2019s mission for the 11 players on the pitch and the thousands packing the stands.<\/p>\n
Xavi\u2019s second derby<\/strong><\/p>\n This is only Xavi\u2019s 11th LaLiga Santander match as coach, but already his second against Espanyol and their coach Vicente Moreno.<\/p>\n After taking over from Ronald Koeman in November, the Bar\u00e7a icon\u2019s first challenge was the derby at the Camp Nou and his side earned a narrow 1-0 victory courtesy of a Memphis Depay penalty.<\/p>\n The Espanyol players were furious about that call, so the Pericos dressing room will be determined to achieve a different outcome as they face Xavi and co. again this Sunday.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/football-tribe.com\/malaysia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/02\/FC-Barcelona-1-0-RCD-Espanyol-Nov-2021-6-800x533.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/football-tribe.com\/malaysia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/02\/FC-Barcelona-1-0-RCD-Espanyol-Nov-2021-5-800x533.jpg\")
<\/p>\n