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Saturday, December 12, 2009, 20:00 CET – Camp Nou, Barcelona

Long, long ago there was a small town named Batívla. The town of Batívla had for many years been ruled by two equally minded and equally wealthy brothers. Their names were Espanyolto and Barćiletto.
These men had an equal voice on every matter and problem that should arise in their town and had an equal say in any sentencing or punishments that were set to be enforced.
However, one day, the brothers came to a disagreement on a matter, this was backed up by a plethora of other disagreements that began to pull the brothers further and further apart. A bloody battle broke out as arguments became so fierce that violence seemed to be the only way to come to a resolution.

In due course, the fighting ceased, and it was decided that one town was not big enough for these two powerhouses, it was decided there was only room enough for one of them, and not the two. However, this decision was not carried out, and the two brothers remained in the small town, fighting it out for the accolade of being the tougher of the two.

El derbi Barcelonís.

FC Barcelona vs RCD Espanyol

The above tale is of course fiction. However it depicts the exact mood and emotions that are poured into this historic fixture.

RCD Espanyol. Founded a year after their city counterparts, they are renowned for being the sixth-most successful club in Spain. Despite having never won a La Liga title Espanyol are traditionally a cup team and have backed up this statement by winning the Copa Del Rey 4 times as well as coming runner-up on two occasions in the UEFA Cup. They are one of two Catalan teams currently in the Spanish Primera with the other overshadowing the Blanquiblaus.

FC Barcelona are football in Catalunya. They have forever been the team under the spotlight, carrying all the glitz and glamour that goes along with that.

19 league titles as well as a record 25 Copa del Rey trophies to their names assert them as one of the most prestigious sides in Spain, however, not only do they dominate on the domestic front, Barcelona have also won 3 UEFA Champions League titles with the most recent being part of a treble-winning season that concluded this year.

Two very different sides, however both possess a similar attitude regarding football in Catalunya.
This attitude is the one demonstrated in the story. It is the attitude that the city of Barcelona is not big enough for two football sides and only one should reside inside this prestigious capital.

Last season on the 21st of February 2009 Barcelona were once again gearing up for another showing of pure brilliance at the Camp Nou as they looked to continue their sterling recent form that had seen them fashion a 22 match undefeated streak, a streak they were expecting to weave into 23 matches as they prepared to face the side that was bottom of the La Liga table.

As the ball was kicked off the players expected a formality result, however they forgot something. They forgot a minute detail that would change all following events. They forgot that this match was like no other. This match, was a derby.

An Iván de la Peña brace would silence Barcelona fans and players alike as they went down to a perilous Espanyol 2-1.
Barcelona backed up this demoralizing defeat by drawing with Olympique Lyonnais as well as going down in the final minutes to Atletico Madrid, followed by another lacklustre draw with Mallorca. This string of results would see Barcelona’s formally unbreakable 12 point gap at the top of the table cut to a mere 4.

The lesson learnt: Never Underestimate a sides motivation in a derby.

Team News

Barcelona

As fatigue begins to catch up with the tri-campeons injuries have begun to set in as tonight’s fixture marks Barcelona’s 7th in 21 days, if one were good at maths they would discover that the Blaugrana are currently playing a game every 3 days.

This is set to continue as – 12 hours after their match against Espanyol – they prepare for a 5000km flight to Abu Dhabi for the FIFA Club World Cup.

A brutal schedule for Barcelona is taking its toll, with newly crowned Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi a certain exclusion for the game against Espanyol after he became the victim of a merciless Dynamo Kiev defence in Wednesday’s Champions League encounter in which the ‘pint-sized Argentine’ was the hero as he scored a delicious curling free kick in the 86th minute.

Barcelona’s leading goal scorer succumbed to 6 professional fouls as his side came from behind to down Dynamo 2-1 with the final foul being the boiling point for Messi as he was carried off the field in noticeable pain with an injury that was to later be analysed as a second degree ankle sprain.

However, Messi’s absence may not be all it is being cut up to be, as arguably Barcelona’s best performance this season came against Italian champions Inter Milan. A game in which Messi was also injured.

Meanwhile Pep Guardiola looks set to once again name Messi’s former Argentina team mate Gabriel Milito in the match-day squad, however it is unlikely that he will start and may only see minutes if his side are in a convincing position late on.

Predicted Starting XI, Barcelona: Valdes – Alves – Puyol – Marquez – Maxwell – Xavi – Busquets – Keita – Iniesta – Ibrahimovic – Pedro

Espanyol

Mauricio Pochettino is in over his head as far as trying to maintain a fit and raring side goes. Fatalities are becoming a major factor in the Espanyol camp with Raul Tamudo, Santi Colma and David Garcia all likely to miss out whereas formally injured duo Moisés Hurtado and last seasons derby doubler Iván de la Peña are both raising concerns but are a good bet to start the game.

Predicted Starting XI, Espanyol: Kameni – Chica – Forlín – Pareja – Pillud – Nakamura – Moisés – De La Peña – Callejón – Luis Garcia – Coro

Key Players

Pedro

Failing to start in his sides last 2 fixtures as well as not being able to live up to expectations since his dazzling performance against Inter Milan sees starlet Pedro Rodriguez a good chance to line up in the derby. Messi’s absence may prove a virtue for the man who has scored 13 goals this season for Barcelona including a goal in every competition he has played in. He comes into his own when the Argentine is not around and provides those dazzling runs that Culés are becoming so accustom to baring witness to. The Espanyol defence may prove a tough nut to crack, however with Pedro’s sheer brilliance coming into play, this may prove to be another awe-inspiring game by the winger.

Shunsuke Nakamura

Coming under early scrutiny at his new club, Espanyol saw the ‘Ronaldo of Japan’ pull his head in and state that he will adapt to the Spanish style of playing. And adapt he has. Nakamura has come off impressive performances in his sides recent losses as he displayed himself to be the only player who was noticebly trying on the park.
His record in big matches speaks for itself and many will remember his two crucial goals against Manchester United in 2006 with one at Old Trafford and the other in an emphatic win at Celtic Park. He also has his name etched into history as he last year scored in what is known as one of the most intense rivalries in the sporting world. The “Old Firm” between Celtic and Rangers.

“Naks” is seemingly finding his place in the Espanyol side and should he once again be called upon for the Barcelona game he may find himself to be an extreme menace for the Blaugrana defence.

Prediction

A 4-0 loss at home to Racing Santander last week as well as an embarrassing defeat of the same quantity to Atletico Madrid has seen Espanyol’s defence come under terrifying scrutiny.

Coming off such devastating results as you gear up to face the team that has scored more goals than any other side in La Liga this season points to a simple conclusion.

However this is a derby, it is a match where form, betting odds, how line-ups compare do not matter. It is a game that comes down to simple motivation, and determination. Fatigue, however, is a factor that will very much come into play, as Barcelona’s forever building schedule is in full swing and taking its toll.

Guardiola has discovered an effective way to counter team’s attempts to ‘shackle’ Barcelona and should Espanyol believe they can steal a 0-0 draw by ‘parking the bus’ they could be in for a rude shock.

No Lionel Messi does not mean no spark as Barcelona have already proven this season that ‘Messi-Dependence’ is a non-existent fable, conjured by the media.

Big matches are exactly what Barcelona thrive on and destroying an out-of-form and vulnerable Espanyol defence should be no problem, but this may not be as simple as it can be said for the Blaugrana as Espanyol will show resilience and come out a different side than the one playing in it’s last 2 match days. This game will be a battle of the midfields, a battle that Barcelona would normally come up trumps in, but with fatigue becoming a forever expanding river for Barcelona to cross, they may just find themselves equally matched with Espanyol, as the two sides cancel one another out.

Barcelona 1 – 1 Espanyol

Leo10.