La Liga: Espanyol vs Barca
At 4:00 a.m. Beijing time on February 14, 2022, the 24th round of La Liga, Espanyol will play Barcelona at home. After the Spaniards returned to La Liga this season, the team performed well in the first half, but as the schedule deepened, it showed a lack of foundation. After 23 rounds of the league, it has achieved 7 wins, 6 draws and 10 losses, ranking 13th in the league with 27 points, and currently the difference with the European theater is more than "double digits", while 8 points higher than the relegation zone, and it is not threatened by relegation for the time being. From the data point of view, espanyol has scored 27 goals in 23 league rounds this season, conceded 32 goals, and the offensive and defensive performance is not ideal.
Espanyol has been in a very slump recently, has not won 6 consecutive games, the team last round of league away games against Athletic Bilbao, the possession rate of 57%, 6 shots on goal 3 shots on target, although the opening only 3 minutes, Wierchner scored a goal, but the good times were not long, it was reversed by the opponent, and finally lost to the opponent 1-2. In this game, Wu Lei came on as a substitute in the 75th minute, but there was no outstanding performance, and in this game against Barca, Wu Lei is probably still a substitute role. In terms of lineup, main striker De Thomas is expected to return, and defender Oscar Hill is suspended for accumulating yellow cards.
Barca performed badly in the first half of this season, for a long time, was thrown out of the European qualification area, the club had to start the coaching process, by barca star Xavi took over the coaching seal, the team's results were able to improve, after 22 rounds of league, achieved 10 wins, 8 draws and 4 losses, ranked 5th in the league with 38 points, and the top real Madrid has a 16-point gap, the championship is basically hopeless, but in the case of a less round, only 1 point away from the atletico Inletico in front of them, It can be seen that the problem of the team striving for a Champions League qualification is not big.
Barca have performed well recently, going unbeaten in 11 consecutive matches in all competitions, especially in the last round of the league home match against Atletico, the team showed a strong side, with 57% of the possession, 9 shots on goal and 4 shots on target, with Alba, Garvey, Araujo and Alves four goals, a 4-2 victory. However, it is worth noting that Alves will be suspended for this game because of his red color, while Aubameyang, who was introduced in the winter window, came on as a substitute in the last round.
In terms of past encounters between the two teams, Espanyol have played against Barca in the last 10 times, with a record of 1 win, 3 draws and 6 defeats, and are clearly at a disadvantage in terms of past performance, losing 0-1 away from home in the first leg of this season. In terms of recent developments, espanyol have performed very badly recently, having not won in six consecutive games, while Barca are back in form, unbeaten in 11 games, and are currently at a critical moment of returning to the Champions League zone. Judging from the current attitude of all parties, it is still possible to give Barca greater support, combined with the strength and status of both sides, it is not difficult for Barca to score 3 points in this battle.