Reigning champions and current La Liga leaders Barcelona are hosting their city rivals Espanyol in their 164th Barcelonian Derby.
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Barça would claim they title by defeating Espanyol and if Atletico de Madrid lose in Orriols as well as Real Madrid failing to beat Valencia.
In eerily similar circumstances Barca were embroiled in a three-way title race with Sevilla and Real when Espanyol travelled to the Camp Nou on the penultimate day of the season nine years ago.
“The Tamudazo doesn’t interest me at all”. I am sure that against Espanyol the Camp Nou will be packed.
With three straight wins by a combined score of 16-0, Barcelona has rebounded from a run of four matches without a victory that squandered a commanding lead.
Rayo Vallecano travel to play Real Sociedad, while Granada will hope to take advantage of exhausted legs in Sevilla after the home side qualified for their third Europa League final on Thursday night.
The reality is likely to be somewhat different and everything points to the season going into a cliff-hanging last game as Atletico visit bottom of the table Levante, who are already guaranteed second division football for next season.
Espanyol on the other hand are carrying some patchy form into this Saturday’s Catalan showdown, with the club recording a draw, defeat and win in their last three league encounters.
“We are not in a delicate situation”.
Luis Enrique has put the pressure on the referee to ensure things do not get out of hand when Barcelona and Espanyol lock horns. “While there are minutes remaining we have to believe in our chances, right down until the last second of the last game”.
“The objective we have in mind is to win our matches to be champions, because we are in control of our own fate”.
Barca boss Luis Enrique is expected to make just one change from the side that started the 2-0 win over Real Betis last weekend with Marc-Andre ter Stegen replacing the injured Claudio Bravo in goal.
Footage has emerged of Barcelona coach Luis Enrique unable to resist the temptation of laughing at an unfortunate cameraman ahead of his side’s bout with Espanyol on Sunday. “We’ll have our fans behind us and we’ll be really up for it, and I’m certain we’ll deliver in the game”, he added.
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“I am not interested in talking about what happened in the previous derbies this season”. We can’t be focused on what happens elsewhere.
