Barca heal in the derby – between the Champions League and a step from the title
Barcelona return to domestic action on afternoon as they host local rivals Espanyol at Camp Nou, looking to quickly recover from their Champions League quarterfinal disappointment.Derby loading ⏳ pic.twitter.com/DGvkVOWO94— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) April 10, 2026 Their ambitions of winning a first European title since 2015 suffered a major blow after Atletico Madrid overturned last week’s 2–1 defeat, capitalizing on Pau Cubarsí’s first-half red card. A predictable finish from Alexander Sorloth, following Julian Alvarez’s superb free-kick, left Barca with a difficult task heading into the second leg at the Metropolitano.Espanyol arrive with hopes of disrupting that momentum and potentially narrowing the gap for Los Blancos. Manolo Gonzalez’s side are mid-table in 10th place, but their form heading into the derby is concerning.Cholo and his Spider stun Camp Nou! Ten-man Barca drowned in Simeone’s trenchesWhat once looked like a push for European qualification has faded, with Espanyol ..