For Barcelona, the party could be complete on Matchday 36 of the 2025 La Liga season, when they can finally be crowned champions at the home of Espanyol, their arch-rivals.
The two main clubs from the Catalan capital will face off on Thursday at the RCDE Stadium, with Barca going for a third trophy of the season against a team fighting to stay in La Liga.
After their victory in El Clasico against Real Madrid, Barca extended their lead at the top of the table to seven points and they only need to pick up two points from their last three matches to seal the championship.
Winners already of the Spanish Super Cup and the Copa del Rey, despite being eliminated in the Champions League semi-finals, the Blaugrana are preparing for their victory lap.
For Espanyol, the need for a win isn't just about trying to spoil Barcelona's celebrations, with whom they have a rivalry that stretches back more than 100 years as part of one of the most historic duels in Spanish football.
Manolo Gonzalez's team has yet to secure survival, taking just one point from their last possible 12, and a defeat here could drag them just two points away from the drop zone with two games left to play.
For this Catalan derby, the bookmakers respect the La Liga leader and have Barcelona as the heavy favourite with odds of 3/10. A win for Espanyol at home rises to 17/2, while a draw is 19/4 with betway.
The Sporting News has the best predictions and tips to make the match even more exciting.
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Espanyol vs. Barcelona odds, betting tips and predictions
Barcelona over 2.5 goals: (19/20, 10bet)
Barcelona are going for another convincing result thanks to their spectacular offensive power, which makes Hansi Flick's team unstoppable. With 95 goals in 35 league matches, they have the best record in Europe's top five leagues (jointly with Bayern Munich in Germany) and have scored three or more goals in four of their last five matches, against Real Madrid (4-3 in La Liga and 3-2 in the Copa del Rey) and Inter (3-3 and 3-4 in the 2025 Champions League semi-finals). The most recent away derby at Espanyol Stadium was won 4-2 in the 2022/23 season.
Raphinha to score and Barcelona to win: (8/5, 10bet)
The La Liga cameras continue to follow Lamine Yamal — at 17, he's the brightest star in European football — but Raphinha is another irreplaceable asset for Barcelona. With his brace against Real Madrid, he reached 18 goals in La Liga and has a total of 34 this season (13 in the Champions League, one in the Copa del Rey, and the other in the Spanish Super Cup). Unbeaten against Espanyol with two wins and a draw, the Brazilian continues to be his team's matchwinner and is the star of this interesting 10bet double.
Espanyol vs. Barcelona predicted results, odds
Here's, a rundown of the most likely outcomes for Espanyol vs. Barcelona according to Spreadex.
| Result | Odds* |
|---|---|
| Barcelona 2-0 | 13/2 |
| Barcelona 2-1 | 15/2 |
| Barcelona 3-0 | 15/2 |
| Barcelona 1-0 | 17/2 |
| Barcelona 3-1 | 9/1 |
| Draw 1-1 | 9/1 |
* All odds correct at time of publishing
Espanyol vs. Barcelona match facts
- Date: Thursday, May 15, 2025
- Kickoff Time: 8:30 p.m. BST
- Location: RCDE Stadium
- Referee: Cesar Soto
- Last meeting: Barcelona 3-1 Espanyol (La Liga, November 3, 2024)