Alaves will look to make it four wins in a row in La Liga when they host defending champions Barcelona on Saturday.
Barcelona returned to winning ways in their previous outing and will now look to add to it when they hit the road to face Deportivo Alaves, who have won each of their last three league games. It promises to be a closely-fought encounter given the recent form of both teams.
Alaves’ hat-trick of wins has helped them jump to 11th in the points table with 26 points out of their 22 matches. It has not been that good a season for them, but they seem to have peaked at the right time. And if they carry on in a similar fashion things could end well.
The home team are heading into this fixture on the back of a 3-0 win over Almeria. They did not dominate the proceedings and were second best in terms of chances created. Despite that, they ended up on the right side of the result.
Meanwhile, Barcelona have not been at their best in the 2023/24 season. They have been inconsistent and are already 10 points behind league leaders Real Madrid. The Catalan giants are fourth on the points table with 47 points out of their 22 matches. They will need a streak of wins to stand a chance of winning the league.
After suffering a humiliating defeat at the hands of Villarreal, the Catalan giants did bounce back with a 1-0 win against Osasuna last time out. It was nowhere near their best but they did manage to get the desired result and will hope to build on it. Meanwhile, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Deportivo Alaves
Alaves do not have any fresh injury concerns, but they will be without the services of Aleksandar Sedlar. Andoni Gorosabel will also miss this fixture because of suspension following the yellow cards that he picked up in their last outing.
Luis Garcia is unlikely to make any major changes to the XI that started in their last outing. They will stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Antonio Sivera will be in goal. Nahuel Tenaglia and Javi Lopez will be the two full-backs for this fixture. They will look to provide the support to their centre-back pairing of Ruben Duarte and Rafa Marin.
The back four will look for a clean sheet against a strong Barcelona attack, and they will have the support of Antonio Blanco and Ander Guevara who will feature as the double pivot in front of the back four.
Jon Guridi will be the attacking midfielder, and he will look to create chances for those around him. Luis Rioja and Carlos Vicente will feature out wide on the flanks. Meanwhile, Samu Omorodion will lead the line for the home team.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sivera; Tenaglia, Marin, Duarte, Lopez; Blanco, Guevara; Vicente, Guridi, Rioja; Omorodion
Barcelona
Barcelona suffered another blow in their previous outing as Ferran Torres became the ninth first-team player who has been sidelined because of injury. Apart from Torres, Joao Felix, Sergi Roberto, Alejandro Balde, Raphinha, Marcos Alonso, Gavi, and Marc-Andre ter Stegen are all unavailable.
Inigo Martinez could return to the squad for this fixture. Meanwhile, Barcelona will stick to the 4-3-3 formation, and Inaki Pena will be the man in goal. Jules Kounde and Joao Cancelo will be the two full-backs. In the heart of the defence, Ronald Araujo will start alongside Andreas Christensen. Despite all the injuries, it still looks like a formidable XI that could keep a clean sheet against Alaves.
In the centre of the park, Ilkay Gundogan will start alongside Frenkie de Jong and Pedri. The trio will look to dictate the pace of the game and ensure they have the majority of the ball. Lamine Yamal and Fermin Lopez should feature out wide on the flanks, and Robert Lewandowski will be the one leading the line for the Catalan giants.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Pena; Kounde, Araujo, Christensen, Cancelo; Gundogan, Pedri, de Jong; Yamal, Lewandowski, Fermin Lopez
Key Stats
- Barcelona have won four out of their last five league games.
- Alaves have won each of their last three games and they have been unbeaten in their last four.
- The Catalan giants are the join-third highest scoring team in the division with 47 goals to their name.
- Last time when the two teams met, Barcelona came out on top with a 2-1 scoreline.
- Barcelona have found the back of the net two or more times in six out of their last 10 away games.
Player to Watch
Robert Lewandowski
Lewandowski hasn’t been at his best in the ongoing season. He was exceptional last season but has failed to deliver similar performances this time out. With the majority of their players out injured, the Polish international will have to step up and get his team through. He only has eight goals in his 20 league outings this season, and Xavi will expect that he adds to it when they face Alaves away from home.
Prediction
Deportivo Alaves 0-2 Barcelona
Alaves have won each of their last three league games. They have been in some form and will surely challenge Barcelona for all three points. Meanwhile, the Catalan giants have not been at their best of late, and they have struggled to come out on top at times.
But, Barcelona returned to winning ways last time out and will look to add to it against Alaves. The recent form suggests that it could be a closely-fought encounter. But given the quality of players at the disposal of Xavi, the visitors should claim all three points here. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 in for Barcelona.