FC Barcelona News: 5 January 2020

Photo by Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Espanyol 2-2 Barça: Derby point | FC Barcelona
It was top against bottom on Saturday night, but as both managers had warned before the game, derbies are different. In a gripping, tense encounter at the RCDE Stadium, Barça were held to a 2-2 draw by their local rivals, whose equaliser came right at the end with the blaugrana reduced to ten men.

Espanyol v Barça by the numbers | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona have started 2020 with a point at local rivals Espanyol (2-2). A win would obviously have been nicer, but it does at least mean they stand top of the table at the halfway stage, and can thus claim the honorary title of ‘winter champions’, on goal difference ahead of Real Madrid, who won 3-0 at Getafe earlier in the day.

Luis Suarez calls on Barcelona to improve ahead of Supercopa test | Football Espana
Barcelona striker Luis Suarez has demanded that the team improve ahead of their tough Spanish Supercopa tie with Atletico Madrid next week. The defending La Liga champions kicked off 2020 with a 2-2 draw away at Espanyol in the Catalan derby, with Suarez and Arturo Vidal both getting on the score sheet at the RCDE Stadium.

Valverde: We have finished without the prize of three points | Sport
“We had the game to kill but they caught us and struck in the last moments. We had the game under control, after the comeback, and wanted to keep scoring. We were getting more space, it was going our way, but we were unbalanced by the red card. They always get something and they scored it. We’ve finished without the prize of three points.”

Once again... insults against Pique during the derby | Marca
The war between Gerard Pique and the Espanyol fans raged on at the RCDE Stadium during Saturday’s Catalan derby. Sections of the home support directed chants against the Barcelona defender involving his family and not for the first time.

All smiles at the Estadi Johan Cruyff | FC Barcelona
The first team squad brought a smile to the faces of the fans on Sunday with the traditional new year open door training session that took place for the first time ever at the Estadi Johan Cruyff. As ever there was a festive atmosphere with the event coming on the eve of ‘Los Reyes Magos’, 6 January being the day when children in Spain and in other parts of the world received their presents.

Barça B 2-0 Espanyol B: Reserves win the ‘mini-derby’ | FC Barcelona
The first ever derby at the Estadi Johan Cruyff, and curiously coming just before the senior teams met at the RCDE Stadium, brought a 2-0 win for Barça B, the goals from Araujo and Collado getting 2020 off to the perfect start and maintaining the unbeaten record at the new ground.

Source: barcablaugranes.com