Barcelona vs Deportivo Alaves: Preview and Prediction

Hansi Flick’s Barcelona will look to make it consecutive wins in La Liga when they host relegation-threatened Deportivo Alaves at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on Sunday.

Barcelona will continue their pursuit of La Liga leaders Real Madrid when they host 17th-placed Deportivo Alaves. It is a must-win game for the Catalan giants as they cannot allow Los Blancos to stretch the lead further.

The home team had a comfortable lead at the top of the table some time ago. But everything has collapsed in a matter of weeks as they are now third with 42 points in their 21 outings. The Blaugrana are seven points behind the league leaders.

Last week, Barcelona brought an end to their winless run in La Liga with a dominant win over Valencia. But, they ended up playing out a draw against Atalanta in the UEFA Champions League, thus squandering the chance to finish atop the standings. They will be looking to get back to winning ways, and it should not be that difficult a task against a team that is struggling for survival.

Deportivo Alaves have only managed to accumulate a total of 21 points in as many outings. The Basque outfit have only racked up five wins so far, and they certainly need to get things back on track if they want to retain their spot in the Spanish top flight.

The visitors have only secured one win in their last seven league outings but the positive is that they have only lost once in those fixtures. They recently smashed Real Betis 3-1 before playing out a 1-1 draw against Celta Vigo. Alaves will have to punch above their wait if they want to secure some sort of a result against the Catalan giants. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.

Team News & Tactics

Barcelona

Barcelona will remain without the services of Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Andreas Christensen, Dani Olmo, and Marc Bernal. Meanwhile, Inigo Martinez is closing in on a return and could be a part of the squad for this fixture.

While Wojciech Szczesny will likely keep his place in goal, there could be a couple of changes as Pau Cubarsi and March Casado are expected to be back in the starting XI.

The home team will stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Szczesny will be in goal. Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde will be the full-backs, while Ronald Araujo will partner Cubarsi in central defence.

Casado will partner Pedri in the centre of the park. The duo will look to shield the backline and control the tempo of the game. Gavi should continue in the no. 10role with Olmo out injured. Lamine Yamal and Raphinha will feature on the flanks, while Robert Lewandowski lead the line for Barcelona against Alaves.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Szczesny; Kounde, Araujo, Cubarsi, Balde; Casado, Pedri; Yamal, Gavi, Raphinha; Lewandowski

Barcelona vs Deportivo Alaves Predicted XI

Deportivo Alaves

Alaves will be without the services of Antonio Sivera because of an injury, while Abdel Abqar is suspended for this fixture because of a milestone yellow last time out. Meanwhile, Antonio Blanco is back available after serving a suspension last time out.

The visitors will also line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Jesus Owono will take charge in between the sticks. The back four will be made up of Nahuel Tenaglia, Manu Sanchez, Santiago Mourino and Moussa Diarra. Tenaglia and Sanchez will feature out wide on the flanks, while Mourino and Diarra will be the central defenders.

In the centre of the park, Ander Guevara will form the double pivot with Carlos Protesoni. Jon Guridi will be the chief creator for Alaves, while Carlos Vicente and Tomas Conechny will provide the much-needed width to their attacks. Kike Garcia should spearhead the Alaves attack against Barcelona..

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Owono; Tenaglia, Mourino, Diarra, Manu Sanchez; Guevara, Benavidez; Vicente, Guridi, Conechny; Kike Garcia

Barcelona vs Deportivo Alaves Predicted XI

Key Stats

  • Deportivo Alaves have only won one out of their last seven league games.
  • Barcelona have only won two league games since the start of November (2 wins in 9 league games).
  • Alaves last win against the Catalan giants came away from home during the 2016/17 season.
  • The visitors have lost their last four games against the Blaugrana, including a 3-0 defeat in the reverse fixture.
  • The Basque outfit are unbeaten in their last three away league games.

Player to Watch

Raphinha

Embed from Getty Images

The Brazilian is enjoying a dream season as he has 23 goals and 13 assists in his 32 outings in the ongoing campaign. At this point, he is one of the top contenders for the Ballon d’Or. But, to clinch the biggest individual award in the world of football, the 28-year-old has to ensure the Catalan giants win a few titles. This fixture could play a massive role in their pursuit of the La Liga title, and Raphinha will look to ensure his team comes out on top.

Prediction

Barcelona 4-0 Deportivo Alaves

While the Blaugrana did play out a disappointing draw against Atalanta last time out, they are out-and-out favourites for this fixture. Given the manner in which they smashed Valencia (7-1) in their last league game, the hosts should not have much difficulty in dealing with a Deportivo Alaves team that are fighting for survival and have only won one out of their last seven games. The Hard Tackle predicts an easy 4-0 win for the home team.

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