The current FC Barcelona Manager, Pep Guardiola, will be sitting on the Camp Nou bench for the very last time on Saturday, but believes the derby with Espanyol is far more important than his farewell.
RCD Espanyol is the smaller of the two main football clubs in the capital of Catalonia. FC Barcelona’s La Masía football school is famous worldwide, and is where players such as Leo Messi have grown up. However, RCD Espanyol has also its own football school, and traditionally their junior teams were the most promising in the city.
Espanyol and Barça shared the points in the season’s first Catalan derby after FC Barcelona hit the woodwork on three occasions. Cesc Fàbregas opened the scoring within the first quarter of an hour and Alvaro hit a late equaliser. The draw leaves Barça five points behind Real Madrid in second spot.
A second half hat-trick from Thievy Bifouma secured the 22nd Copa Catalunya for Espanyol. Playing back-to-back matches straight after their American tour was just too much for the Barça youngsters.
FC Barcelona will face Girona FC in Tarragona’s Nou Estadi, in the semi finals of the Copa Catalunya on Monday, August 8. The other semi final is between RCD Espanyol and Nàstic de Tarragona.
This season, in addition to continuing to fill the cabinet with more trophies, has served to break down some barriers that until now had been insurmountable for this Barça team. Winning at grounds like Espanyol or Valencia are two examples.
Barça again won the city derby against Espanyol with a 2-0 win that leaves them needing just a point to take the Spanish League title. If Real Madrid does not win Getafe next Tuesday, FC Barcelona would win the League.
Barça struck five again tonight as they brushed aside Espanyol 1-5 at the Cornella-El Prat Stadium with Pedro (2), Xavi and Villa (2) getting the goals for the La Liga leaders.
Joan Verdú scored twice for RCD Espanyol as they beat FC Barcelona in the Copa Catalunya on Wednesday evening in the first game of what was a triangular final that included neighbours Hospitalet.