Five key stats ahead of Barcelona vs RCD Espanyol

Barcelona will be aiming to reclaim the top spot in the La Liga table when they lock horns with RCD Espanyol in the Catalan derby at Spotify Camp Nou later today.

The Blaugrana went into the World Cup break as the leaders of the division but Real Madrid’s win over Real Valladolid on Friday meant that the reigning champions have moved to the top, with Xavi’s men trailing them by a point.

A victory in the derby later today should restore things to order and Barça will be hoping to continue their strong form in the league and end 2022 on a high.

Traditionally, Barcelona have had the upper hand when it comes to derby encounters. Indeed, the Blaugrana have not lost against Espanyol since 2009 when Ivan de la Pena scored a brace at Camp Nou.

It means that Barcelona are currently on a whopping 24-match unbeaten streak against their local rivals, during which they have scored 58 goals and conceded just seven.

Today’s match could be a special occasion for veteran defender Jordi Alba. The 33-year-old left-back who has been at Barça for over a decade, will be playing his 300th La Liga match for the club should he make an appearance against Espanyol.

The match will be officiated by referee Mateu Lahoz, who was praised by manager Xavi during the pre-match press conference on Friday.

In total, Lahoz has officiated as many as 47 matches involving Barcelona, with the Catalans coming out on top in 32 of those games, while losing just six.

Furthermore, Xavi has won all three of the matches in charge of the Blaugrana with Lahoz as the referee, beating Mallorca and Real Betis last season and Sevilla this term.