Friendly vibes ahead of the Catalan derby as after training and his pre-game press conference on Friday, Barça coach Hansi Flick and his Espanyol counterpart Manolo González held the traditional get together before Saturday's game in the RCDE Stadium. 

The respect between the two coaches was clear to see during the meeting which came after Barça's final training session ahead the game and the blaugrana boss' appearance before the press in which Hansi Flick appeared confident in his team's ability to take all three points. 

The first game of 2026 for the two teams will be their third meeting as coach after the 3-1 win in Montjuïc and the 2-0 win at the RCDE stadium last season for the blaugranes in La Liga. This fixture last season saw the blaugranes clinch their 28th league title at Espanyol's home ground. Victory on Saturday would keep Barça on course for title number 29. 

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