Lamine Yamal and Barcelona face Espanyol in this La Liga matchup on Saturday in the Catalan derby at RCDE Stadium, and you can catch all the action with ESPN.

Vice captain Fede Valverde missed the final game of 2025 with a small injury. He is back in the starting lineup for the Real Betis game, and starts at right-back with an injury to Trent Alexander-Arnold. Dani Carvajal is in the squad but likely won't start. Álvaro Carreras is also back after he served a two-game suspension.

Atletico Madrid could only manage a 1-1 draw at Real Sociedad on Sunday, leaving it 11 points behind La Liga leader Barcelona.

Espanyol take on Barcelona in a Matchday 18 clash of the 2025/26 La Liga season. Here’s everything you need to know about the matchup, including kickoff times and how to watch the action live on TV and streaming platforms.

According to The Athletic, Ramos, along with a undisclosed American fund, are spearheading a proposal to purchase 100% of Sevilla to kick start a new era for the La Liga outfit. The Spanish defender serves as the bid’s “public face” despite not being the largest investor in the potential takeover.

Goalkeeper Joan García shrugged off the jeers and vitriol in his return to Espanyol and Barcelona teammate Fermín López set up two late goals for a 2-0 victory in a heated Catalan derby on Saturday.

Villarreal maintained the pressure on La Liga's giants with a 3-1 win at Elche on Saturday.Martim Neto pulled one back for Elche from the edge of the box, but Alfonso Pedraza wrapped up Villarreal's win late on by slipping in behind and maintaining his composure to beat Inaki Pena.

A La Liga star could continue his career in Brazilian Serie A, where he would face his former Barcelona teammate Neymar. The start of 2026 brought major news for Santos, which announced Neymar’s contract extension through December 31.