Barcelona will look to extend their lead at the top of the table when they square up against relegation-threatened CD Leganes.
CD Leganes will be looking to bring an end to their four-match winless run when they host Hansi Flick’s high-flying Barcelona at Estadio Municipal Butarque on Saturday night.
The home team are 18th on the league table with just 28 points in their 30 outings. Los Pepinores are two points behind 17th-placed Deportivo Alaves, and with eight games to go, they will certainly believe they can survive the drop with a few positive results in the final stretch of the season.
But going up against Barcelona won’t be easy given the fact that they had lost their last three league outings prior to their 1-1 draw against Osasuna in their last outing. Leganes will hope to create an upset, but it won’t be that straightforward.
The visitors are on top of the table with 67 points in their 30 outings. The Blaugrana could have gone seven points clear of second-placed Real Madrid with a win over Real Betis, but unfortunately, all they could manage in that fixture was a 1-1 draw.
Barcelona did bounce back with a massive 4-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League, which suggests they should not have any problems taking down Leganes. A win here will take them seven points clear at the top for now, as Los Blancos won’t be in action until Sunday. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
CD Leganes
The home team will be without the services of Enric Franquesa due to a long-term knee injury. But they do have a boost as Oscar Rodriguez is back in the mix after serving a suspension last time out.
Head coach Borja Jimenez was quite pleased with Leganes’s performance last time out, and he is unlikely to make too many changes to the XI that started against Osasuna.
He will stick with the 3-4-3 formation, where Marko Dmitrovic should take charge in goal. Sergio González, Matija Nastasic, and Renato Tapia will form the back three, while Valentin Rosier and Javi Hernandez will feature as the wing-backs.
In the centre of the park, Seydouba Cisse will partner with Yvan Neyou. The duo will look to ensure Barcelona midfielders do not dominate the ball too deep in their half. Juan Cruz and Diego Garcia should feature on the flanks in attack, providing much-needed width to their attacks. Meanwhile, Dani Raba should lead the line for Leganes against Barcelona on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Dmitrovic; Gonzalez, Nastasic, Tapia; Rosier, Cisse, Neyou, Javi Hernandez; Cruz, Raba, Diego Garcia
Barcelona
The Catalan giants remain without the services of Dani Olmo, Marc Casado, Marc Bernal, and Marc-Andre ter Stegen. While everyone else is expected to be available, and Barcelona did put up a strong performance against Borussia Dortmund last time out, Flick could still make a few changes to the XI.
The Barcelona manager could look to rest Robert Lewandowski, while Gavi and Ronald Araujo could also return to the starting lineup. They will once again line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Wojciech Szczesny will be in goal. Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde should continue as the full-backs, while Araujo should come in to partner with Pau Cubarsi in central defence.
In the centre of the park, Frenkie de Jong should partner with Pedri. The duo will look to control the tempo of the game. Gavi should feature as the attacking midfielder, with Raphinha and Lamine Yamal on the flanks. Ferran Torres could come into the XI to lead the line for them.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Szczesny; Kounde, Cubarsi, Araujo, Balde; de Jong, Pedri; Yamal, Gavi, Raphinha; Torres
Key Stats
- Leganes recorded a famous 1-0 win in the reverse fixture.
- However, Barcelona have the better head-to-head record as they have won eight out of the last 11 meetings between the two teams.
- The Catalan giants recorded a 2-1 win in their last trip to Estadio Municipal de Butarque back in 2019.
- Hansi Flick’s side have scored 83 goals in 30 league games this season, 20 more than the next highest scorers, Real Madrid.
- Leganes last won a league game at the start of March (1-0 vs Getafe).
Player to Watch
Frenkie de Jong
Frenkie de Jong was not a regular under Hansi Flick at the start of the season, but he has slowly worked his way into the team. The Dutch international has impressed the German tactician and has become one of the mainstays of his team.
While the 27-year-old might only have four goal contributions in his 34 outings, his ability to contribute on both ends of the pitch is invaluable to Flick, and he will hope the 27-year-old has another strong outing against Leganes.
Prediction
CD Leganes 0-3 Barcelona
While Leganes did secure a stunning win in the reverse fixture, they might end up struggling in this fixture. Barcelona have been in red-hot form, and they are heading into this fixture on the back of a 4-0 win over Borussia Dortmund, which suggests they shouldn’t have much trouble going past the home team. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-0 win for the away team.
