Barcelona should have no problems cruising into the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey as they head into Wednesday's round of 16 second leg with a 4-1 aggregate lead over Catalan rivals Espanyol. Luis Enrique's side came from a goal down to win comfortably in a fiery reverse fixture at Camp Nou in which their visitors finished the game with just nine men. Resultant suspensions to Espanyol players Hernán Pérez and Papakouli Diop only further deepen their ongoing selection difficulties. They'll surely just be hoping to avoid a heavy defeat.
Barcelona vs. Espanyol 2016 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch Copa del Rey online
Barcelona head into the second leg of their Copa del Rey last-16 tie against Espanyol with a 4-1 aggregate lead.
David Ramos/Getty Images
Meanwhile, with the tie already all but decided, an experimental team selection may be in the offing for Barça. They're not generally a team that engages in much squad rotation, though playing at full strength in the first leg seems something of a needless risk. The likes of Marc Bartra, Thomas Vermaelen, Munir and summer signing Aleix Vidal will all be hoping for chances to shine. Enrique will certainly be unable to call upon the services of Luis Suárez, who is serving a suspension.
Key player: Neymar (Barcelona)
Assuming he isn't rested, Barcelona forward Neymar will certainly be one to watch. He failed to break the duopoly of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo at the recent Ballon d'Or ceremony, but it can't be long before the Brazilian will be given the prestigious golden ball. He's an incredibly slippery customer, ducking and weaving his way past opposing defenders to, more often than not, slide the ball beyond the goalkeeper. He's capable of creating something from nothing and could well add to his already impressive seasonal tally here.
When they last met: Barcelona 4-1 Espanyol, Jan. 6, 2016
A surprise looked in the offing when Espanyol broke the deadlock early on in the first leg, courtesy of a goal by former Manchester City man Felipe Caicedo. However, Barcelona quickly got back on track with Messi equalizing just four minutes later. He gave them the lead just before halftime, then turned into a provider for Gerard Piqué soon after the restart. Things quickly went sour. Espanyol had Hernán Pérez and Pape Diop sent off before Neymar capped the win with a fine volley in the dying minutes.
Espanyol injuries and suspensions
Out: Anaitz Arbilla (achilles); Jose Cañas (foot); Víctor Sánchez (hamstring); Hernán Pérez, Papakouli Diop (suspended).
In doubt: Álvaro González (hamstring).
Barcelona injuries and suspensions
Out: Rafinha (knee); Luis Suárez (suspended).
In doubt: None.
Espanyol certainly have the lion’s share of injury problems heading into this fixture with their selection woes compounded by the suspensions picked up by Pérez and Diop in the first leg. Meanwhile, Barça’s only confirmed absentees are Rafinha and Suárez, who are injured and suspended, respectively.
Match date/time: Wednesday, January 13, 3 p.m. ET, 9 p.m. local
Venue: Power8 Stadium, Cornellà de Llobregat, Spain
TV: beIN Sports (US and Canada - English); beIN Sports en Español (US and Canada - Spanish)
Online: beIN Sports Connect (US and Canada); fuboTV (US)
See More:
