Espanyol vs. Barcelona: 10 Classic Catalan Derby Moments

When Barcelona play Espanyol in El Derbi, we're almost always guaranteed goals and talking points.

Just a few miles separate these local rivals but light years separate them on the pitch at present.

The Periquitos have had their moments mind you. Few and far between they may have been but decisive when they have arrived.

As we head toward another edition, let's take a look at 10 classic moments from this fixture.

Frank Rijkaard Punches a Hole in the Dugout

Back in 2007, Frank Rijkaard let his anger get the better of him after Tamudo's stunning headed equaliser for Espanyol.

The Dutchman initially seemed unmoved that his Barca side had let the lead slip, but he soon made his feelings clear.

Turning to his left, Rijkaard aimed a punch at the side of the dugout that was so forceful it smashed the glass.

Conduct unbecoming for a Barca manager even if the stakes in a local derby are a little higher than normal.

Thievy's Hat-Trick to Win the Copa Catalunya

Back in the days of the Copa Catalunya, the competition was often a round-robin knockout with all games played on the same day.

This particular edition (2011) wasn't, as the format had changed, but Barcelona will want to forget it in a hurry.

The Blaugrana fielded an entire side of youth team players, per Barcelona's official website, whereas their opponents had four first-teamers in the squad.

It was only a matter of time before the Periquitos got the better of their more celebrated neighbours, with Thievy Bifouma the hero of the hour with an unanswered hat-trick.

The Dream Team "Manita"

There weren't too many teams that could live with Barcelona in their "Dream Team" era.

The early '90s was a real golden period for the Blaugrana, and a manita (five-goal victory) against Espanyol was well received by the locals.

Espanyol were completely overwhelmed by the mesmeric skills of Michael Laudrup and Co. Already relegated, they were no match for the hosts.

Hristo Stoichkov, Miguel Nadal, Ronald Koeman, Richard Witschge and Txiki Begiristain were the scorers on a night to remember.

The "Tamudazo"

The penultimate game of the 2006/07 game turned into a shocker for Barca.

At 2-1 up in the match with just minutes left, and with their rivals for the title, Real Madrid, losing, everything looked rosy in the garden for the men from Camp Nou.

But in the space of a minute, everything changed.

Real equalised in their match at just about the same moment Raul Tamudo scored what has come to be known as the "Tamudazo."

Depriving Barca of the three points was fatal. Real went on to win the title.

First Catalan Super Cup Win

It took penalties to win it, but Barcelona took the first ever Catalan Super Cup toward the back end of 2014.

One of Luis Suarez's first games for the Blaugrana saw the Uruguayan produce a wonderful piece of skill for Gerard Pique to head Barca in front.

Although Arbilla's free-kick wrong-footed Jordi Masip to send the game to penalties, Barca wouldn't be denied, with Ivan Rakitic firing home the winning spot-kick.

Five for Barca, Three for Messi

During the current season, Lionel Messi has scored six hat-tricks in all competitions, per WhoScored.com.

His treble against Espanyol was the third he had scored in 15 days coming on the back of one against Sevilla that broke the all-time La Liga scoring record, and against APOEL that broke the all-time Champions League record.

In that context, this one was the least important of the three, but a man-of-the-match contribution by Messi completely swept their local rivals aside in a one-sided contest.

Ivan de la Pena's Brace

Former Barca player Ivan de la Pena came back to haunt the club with a two-goal salvo that saw Espanyol win their only game at Camp Nou in the last 31 years.

In the space of five second-half minutes, Barca were undone, firstly by an unmarked back-post header and then a wonderful piece of opportunist skill to chip Victor Valdes, whose error had led to the half-chance.

Barca managed a consolation through Yaya Toure, but it wasn't enough to steal the limelight from the visitors.

Lionel Messi's Senior Debut

It is a day that will go down in Barcelona folklore.

On 16 October, 2004, Lionel Messi stepped onto the pitch for the first time as a Barcelona senior player.

Deco was the player to make way for a 16-year-old Messi, and the cameo appearance was most notable for the fact that the Argentinian was completely at ease in his surroundings.

No signs of nervousness at all. The rest, as they say, is history.

Messi Completes Four-Goal Haul, Thanks Guardiola

Pep Guardiola's final game as Barca manager was all about Messi.

Four goals in the match merely confirmed his status as the best in the world, and within the context of the game, there simply wasn't a player on the pitch who came close.

But rather than taking the glory himself, he headed straight for the man who had made everything possible.

Messi shaking hands and then hugging Guardiola remains one of the most iconic images of recent Barca history.

Pep Guardiola's Last Game as Barcelona Manager

Always reticent to take centre stage, Guardiola had no choice at the conclusion of his final game as Barcelona manager.

His players gave him a guard of honour to exit the pitch after he had watched the clubs' tribute to his achievements, and then he addressed a full-to-capacity Camp Nou for the final time.

"Gracies Pep," or "Thank you Pep" if you prefer, was the theme of a hugely emotional evening.

Thank you, indeed.