Espanyol vs. Barcelona: Complete Preview, Live Stream, Start Time and More

Barcelona and Espanyol will face off on Sunday after nearly a month away from La Liga play.

Barca has won the FIFA Club World Cup and lost star midfielder David Villa to a long-term injury, so it has been an eventful holiday season for the world's most dominant club.

The loss of a major contributor like Villa would cripple just about any other team, but his absence has been overcome with relative ease due to Barcelona's unmatched depth. With the midway point of the season approaching, the Blaugrana trail rival Real Madrid by three points in the table.

Things haven't been as smooth for the middling Periquitos. Sergio Garcia is the only player with more than two goals during the campaign. If there's anything working to Espanyol's advantage on Sunday, it's the team's strong record at home so far.

Where: Estadi Cornella-El Prat in Cornella de Llobregat, Spain

When: Sunday, Jan. 8 at 3:30 p.m. ET

Watch: ESPN Deportes and ESPN3.com

Betting Odds: Barcelona -455, Espanyol +1110, Draw +480

Player to Watch for Espanyol: Verdu

Verdu is not going to amaze you with any single aspect of his game, but he continues to be a solid, reliable contributor. The 28-year-old midfielder has scored twice this season and leads the team in assists with three.

He spent several seasons at the beginning of his career with Barcelona, mostly playing for the B team, before moving to Deportivo La Coruna in 2006. If the Periquitos are going to manage even a single point from Sunday's clash, Verdu will need to come up big.

Player to Watch for Barcelona: Lionel Messi

Just when everybody thought Messi couldn't get any better, he does. The dynamic Argentine has worked tirelessly on his distribution game, and it's paid off. He has 17 assists in 34 games across all competitions this season, which is a career-best pace.

The fact that he's able to stand out from the crowd so frequently on Barca's loaded roster tells you just how talented he is. There's very few things on the pitch that Messi can't do, and his remarkable consistency might be his best trait of all.

Key Matchup: Periquitos GK Cristian Alvarez vs. Blaugrana attack

Barcelona isn't going to make a conservative return to league play. They will come out in attack mode in an attempt to seize the lead early and avoid any possible upset worries.

With the amount of offensive firepower the Blaugrana possess, they'll probably accomplish that goal.

That is unless Alvarez has the night of his life. If he could ever fend off the Barca attack long enough to give his team a chance to earn at least one point, it would be something he never forgets.

It's a long shot, but it's happened before.

What They're Saying

Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas, who arrived from Arsenal during the summer, has big plans for 2012, based on a report from Stefan Coerts of Goal.com:

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"I want to achieve many successes and win many titles with Barcelona in 2012," Fabregas said on his official Twitter account.

"I am dreaming of winning the treble. If I have to choose, I want the Champions League most, and then La Liga.

"The title I'm longing for the most is the Champions League. This competition gives me a special feeling and is valued the most by the majority of the players."

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Prediction

Barcelona 3, Espanyol 0