BARCELONA, Spain (Interstat) — The latest chapter of Barcelona’s heated city derby arrives Saturday as the Blaugrana host Espanyol at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in a pivotal La Liga clash.

Barcelona (20-6-3) looks to rebound immediately from a damaging 2-0 home loss to Atlético Madrid on Wednesday that dented its title ambitions. Prior to that setback, Xavi Hernández’s squad had won seven of its previous eight matches across all competitions, including a 2-1 victory at Atlético just days before the defeat. The attack, led by Robert Lewandowski, has been potent, averaging over two goals per game in that span.

Espanyol (4-10-15), entrenched in the relegation fight, seeks a monumental upset to boost its survival hopes. The Periquitos are winless in their last 11 league matches (0-5-6) dating to Jan. 11. Their most recent result was a scoreless draw at Real Betis on April 4. Defense has been a persistent issue, with the team conceding multiple goals in seven of those 11 winless outings.

The crosstown rivals last met on Jan. 3, with Barcelona securing a 2-0 victory at Espanyol’s RCDE Stadium. Espanyol has not defeated Barcelona in league play since 2009.

According to Interstat’s game simulator, Barcelona is projected to win 2-1. The model reflects Barcelona’s offensive firepower and Espanyol’s struggles to keep clean sheets.

For Espanyol, the derby represents a rare opportunity to alter a grim season narrative and claw back points in its desperate relegation battle. Manager Manolo González will demand a disciplined defensive effort to contain Barcelona’s dynamic wing play.

Barcelona, currently sitting second in the table, cannot afford further dropped points with a critical Clásico against league-leading Real Madrid looming on May 10. The immediate focus, however, is solely on dispatching its local foe and recovering momentum.

Kickoff is set for 9 p.m. local time (1900 GMT).