Barcelona will look to claim all three points when they host Cadiz after a disappointing draw last time out.
Barcelona are all set to square up against Cadiz on Matchday 2 of the 2023/24 La Liga season. The Catalan giants played out a draw in the season opener, and they will look to put up a better show this time out. Meanwhile, the visitors won their first outing and will be eager to continue their good run.
Barcelona managed to win the La Liga title last season without much trouble. They were the most complete team in the league and ended the season ten points clear of the second-placed Real Madrid.
The Blaugrana are expected to push for the league title this season as well. But, they did not get off to the best possible start. Barcelona played out a goalless draw against Getafe. Despite having more of the ball and taking more shots on goal, they could not find the back of the net.
Meanwhile, Cadiz are heading into this encounter on the back of a hard-fought 1-0 win over Deportivo Alavés. While it was an evenly-contested fixture, the visitors took the lead early and managed to keep it intact until the end.
Sergio Gonzalez’s men will be eager to avoid the fight for survival this time out, and they have got off to the best possible start with all three points in the bag. If they can manage to pull off something similar against Barcelona, they will surely have the confidence in him to push for a much better finish than last season.
While there is a huge difference in the quality of both teams, it could still end up being a closely contested encounter given their recent form. Meanwhile, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at this fixture and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Barcelona
Xavi has a few injury concerns to deal with this weekend. Ronald Araujo is all set to be out for a few months and Inigo Martinez is not fully fit yet. Meanwhile, he will also be without the services of Raphinha, who is suspended after picking up a red card last time out.
While there were doubts over the fitness of Andreas Christensen because he was subbed off at half-time last time out, the Danish centre-back is fit to start the next outing.
Working out with your friend 🔝 pic.twitter.com/Xev9Pa4lGr
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 18, 2023
Xavi is expected to go ahead with the 4-3-3 formation, where Marc-Andre ter Stegen, set to sign a new contract, will be in goal. Sergi Roberto is expected to be the right-back for this fixture while Alejandro Balde will continue at left-back.
Jules Kounde and Andreas Christensen will pair up in the heart of the defence. The duo kept a clean sheet last time, and they will look for a similar performance against Cadiz. Frenkie de Jong, Pedri and Ilkay Gundogan will be three in the centre of the park. They will look to dominate the ball and control the tempo of this fixture.
With Raphinha unavailable, Abde Ezzalzouli could start on the right flank, while Gavi is expected to charge on the left flank. Former Bayern Munich superstar Robert Lewandowski will continue as the number nine.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): ter Stegen; Roberto, Kounde, Christensen, Balde; Pedri, de Jong, Gundogan; Abde, Lewandowski, Gavi
Cadiz
The visitors will be without the services of Gonzalo Escalante. The summer arrival was sent off last time out and will miss this fixture through suspension. Meanwhile, Brian Ocampo, Sergi Guardiola and Victor Chust are all out injured.
🤚 Hands up anyone who wants three points against @FCBarcelona #ThisIsCádiz pic.twitter.com/oV9DPLZtDy
— Cádiz CF 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@Cadiz_CFEN) August 18, 2023
Sergio could go ahead with the same playing XI that took the field against Alaves. They were clinical on the night and got the job done. The visitors will stick to the 4-4-2 formation, where Jeremias Ledesma will take charge in goal.
Isaac Carcelén and Javi Hernández will start out wide as the full-backs. Luis Hernández will pair up with Rafael Jiménez Jarque in the heart of the defence. While the backline did keep a clean sheet last time out, this time around they will have to be at their best as they will face some of the best attackers in world football.
Iván Alejo and Darwin Machís will start on either flank in the centre of the park. In a more central role, we will see Federico San Emeterio and Rubén Alcaraz. The duo will have to support the backline and initiate counterattacks when the opportunity presents itself. Meanwhile, in attack, Chris Ramos will have the support of Roger Martí.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Ledesma; Carcelen, Luis Hernandez, Fali, Javi Hernandez; Alejo, Emeterio, Alcaraz, Machis; Ramos, Roger
Key Stats
- Barcelona have won four of the last eight matches against Cadiz.
- Barcelona endured a four-match winless run against Cadiz in the league before winning back-to-back matches without conceding a goal.
- The Catalan giants have dropped points against the visitors in two of their last three home games in the league.
- Barcelona have only won one out of their last five league matches.
- Cadiz have been winless in their last five away games, their longest run since March 2021.
Player to Watch
Ilkay Gundogan
Gundogan was on fire for Manchester City last season in all competitions. He was the mainstay of the team and led them to a historic treble. After winning everything there is to win in England, the 32-year-old decided to join Barcelona on a free transfer.
He has already settled into Xavi’s plans and started their first league game of the season. The German international had a decent outing in his first-ever La Liga game, but he could not help his team claim all three points. Gundogan will be eager to leave a mark against Cadiz and he could end up being the difference between the two teams.
Prediction
Barcelona 2-1 Cadiz
The Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys is all set to host Barcelona’s first home game of the new season. The Catalan giants are heading into this encounter on the back of a draw against Getafe on matchday 1. They have not been at their best of late and will look to stamp their authority with their first win of the season.
Meanwhile, Cadiz are heading into this encounter on the back of a 1-0 win over Alaves. The visitors will be high on confidence and they will look to pull off an upset here. But, given the strength of the Barcelona squad, an upset looks unlikely. The Catalan giants might come out on top by the barest of margins. As a result, The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-0 win for the home team.
