Barcelona vs Almeria
La Liga
Wednesday
20th December 2023
Estadio Olimpico de Montjuic
The most comprehensive preview, detailed analysis and reliable predictions of the La Liga fixture between Barcelona and Almeria.
Barcelona vs Almeria: Preview
Barcelona form analysis
FCB saw their long unbeaten run ended in shocking fashion recently, leading to increased scrutiny on manager Xavi. On November 12th Barca needed late heroics from Robert Lewandowski’s brace to defeat Alavés 2-1 at home after surprisingly falling behind early. A week later they battled to a creditable 1-1 draw away to a tough Rayo Vallecano side after Fran Lejeune’s late own goal canceled out Unai López’s opener. Building confidence, Barcelona faced rivals Atletico Madrid on December 4th and ground out an important 1-0 derby victory thanks to Joao Felix’s composed first half finish.
However, Barca’s mental strength was questioned after an embarrassing 4-2 thrashing away to struggling Girona on December 11th, as two late consolations could not paper over a poor defensive display. Looking to immediately respond, Barcelona could only manage a 1-1 draw away to Valencia last Saturday despite dominating. While still well placed in La Liga and assured in attack, Barca’s defensive vulnerabilities and mentality have been exposed recently. Regaining solidity at the back will be crucial for Xavi to get his talented squad back on track.
Almeria form analysis
As a newly promoted side, Almeria have shown fighting spirit but a lack of quality during a difficult spell in La Liga. On November 11th they battled hard away to high-flying Real Sociedad before succumbing to a 3-1 defeat, drawing level late through Sergio Arribas before two stoppage time goals killed off their hopes. Almeria then traveled to Getafe on November 25th and took a shock early lead through Largie Ramazani before the hosts recovered to win 2-1. Seeking improvement, Almeria returned home to face Real Betis on December 3rd and ground out a credible goalless draw.
However, they came back down to earth away to Atletico Madrid on December 10th. Going ahead before two quickfire goals condemned them to a 2-1 loss. Most recently on December 17th, Almeria lacked attacking spark in a sterile 0-0 home draw with Mallorca. While defensive displays have been reasonably solid, Almeria have badly struggled for goals all season.
