Barcelona will travel to cross-city rivals, Espanyol in the historic Barcelona derby in the first-ever clash of 2020. Considered as one of the important clash for Barcelona in their La-Liga calendar year, the fixture brings in a lot of local pride and honor for the fans. Few even goes on to compare the clash to the Manchester derby of England.
In the past, many players have represented both sides of the same city. The player of stature like Ricardo Zamora who was born and brought up in the city of Barcelona has graced both sides. Also, players like Ladislao Kubala, Jordi Cruyff, Ivan de la Peña and, of course, current Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde have worn both Blaugrana and Blanquiazl jersey in the past.
The rivalry between the sides of Barcelona dates back to the small organized football in the city which was held three decades ago. The history of the clubs dates back to before the establishment of La-Liga.
The two sides have different stories of origin. Barcelona was established in November 1899 by a Swiss student Hans Gamper whereas, Espanyol was found by a local engineering student named Angel Rodriguez Ruiz who named himself the president of the club back then. Espanyol was made up of migrant workers from places like Andalucia, Extremadura, Galicia, and Madrid.
Many cross-city games have been played between both sides. The teams often clash in Copa del Rey, Spanish Super Cup, and Copa Catalonia. However, to the despair of Espanyol, 26-times La Liga winners Barcelona have come on top. Espanyol are always wanting to avenge on the defeats and have the chance this time too.
The first fixture between the two sides took place on 23rd December 1900, a goalless draw played at the now-defunct Camp de l’Hotel Casanovas stadium. Except for the four seasons, the fixture has been played in the Spanish top-tier, La Liga every year. The Catalans’ biggest victory to date is with a scoreline of 5-0 win, back in 1933/34, whereas Espanyol fans will always cherish the 6-0 success of the team against Blaugrana Blues back in 1950/51.
On Saturday, Espanyol and Barcelona will cross paths again at the RCDE Stadium. The two sides have opposing goals, with Los Periquitos looking to win in Abelardo‘s first game in charge as they look to begin their climb from the bottom of the table, while the Catalans want to close the first half of the season as the Spanish top tier leaders.
