Espanyol vs Barcelona Tips: 41/20 Bet Builder For Catalan Derby
There’s no such thing as a low-stakes Catalan Derby but when both sides are riding win streaks and chasing silverware or European spots? That turns up the heat even further.
Espanyol, currently fifth, are enjoying a serious purple patch with five straight wins to their name.
Barcelona, meanwhile, are on a nine-game tear in the league and looking every bit like the reigning champions they are.
We’ve lined up a 41/20 Bet Builder to kick off 2026 – three value-packed legs for the first clash of the new year for both sides.
Leg 1 – Barcelona to win @ 1/2
Since that 2-1 El Clasico loss in October, Barca have won nine straight games in La Liga and making it look routine both home and away.
Bigger picture, they’ve won 15 of 18 league matches this season, dropping points just three times to put them at the very top of the table as the gap continues to grow with every passing game.
They’ve had the edge over their Catalan rivals in recent years: 23 wins to Espanyol’s 11 with last year’s double further cementing their dominance.
Barcelona currently have the second best away record in the league behind only Real Madrid with one fewer game played on the road – the same Los Blancos that will be watching this game very closely with only four points separating them.
Not that Hansi Flick’s men need any more motivation to get one over their city rivals…
Leg 2 – Over 2.5 goals @ 7/20
There’s always goals at RCDE Stadium between these two with 12 between them over the last three, including a 4-2 thriller just two seasons ago.
To add to that, Barca are the current top scorers in all of La Liga with 51 goals – 15 more than the next best team in Real Madrid – and have found the net 15 times in their last five matches alone.
Espanyol aren’t tourists in this game either, scoring in four of the last five meetings against their Saturday evening visitors and have scored seven on this five-game winning run, so are more than capable of giving them a game.
Will it be enough though? Current form suggests maybe not which further strengthens the away team’s chances of securing all three points.
Barcelona are averaging 2.83 goals per game at the moment and have seen over 2.5 goals in 78% of their league fixtures after 18 games making this a solid pick in our Catalan Derby Bet Builder.
Leg 3 – Raphinha to score anytime @ 11/10
He might not be sweeping up end-of-year awards but Raphinha is putting in the kind of performances that win games and certainly entertain.
The Brazilian has three goals in his last three La Liga games, including a dazzling brace versus Osasuna and a composed penalty against Villarreal last time out.
He’s now on seven goals for the season, sitting just behind Robert Lewandowski’s eight Ferran Torres’s 11.
Raphinha also leads the creative charge with 10 assists, the third-highest at the club. Whether it’s from the wing or drifting inside, he’s heavily involved in almost everything Barcelona create.
But it’s not just his finishing that’s on point – he’s also got 10 assists this season, the third-most in a team of world-class creative players.
Looking back, his consistency in front of goal isn’t anything new.
He scored 18 league goals last season, eclipsing Espanyol’s top scorer Javier Puado’s 12 by some distance, and he’s well on track to hit double figures again… with games like these being prime hunting grounds.
Add our 41/20 Bet Builder to your betslip here.
Odds correct at time of publication but subject to change.
