Barcelona will be looking for their second win in a row when they visit Alaves in the La Liga. Fourth-placed Xavi’s team will go into the match fresh from a 1-0 victory over Osasuna, while in-form Alaves defeated bottom-of-the-table Almeria 3-0 the previous time out.
Preview (Alaves vs. Barcelona)
El Glorioso will go into this game in good form, having won four of their previous five games. Alaves have not defeated Barcelona since September 2016. The Basque team has won three of their previous four games. They drew with Real Sociedad and then triumphed over Sevilla, Cadiz, and Almeria. This winning streak has propelled them into 11th place in the standings, ten points above the relegation zone. Alaves has gained 16 points from their 10 home league games this season. It includes five victories, and they are now focused on finishing in the top 10. They are currently only three points behind Getafe in 10th place.
Now, Luis Garcia’s team will play Barcelona and Villarreal at home back-to-back before wrapping up the month with matches against Real Betis (A) and Mallorca (H). Through the Segunda Division playoffs last season, Alaves was able to regain their place in Spain’s top division. They had previously placed ninth at this level in 2016–17. It was their first season back in the top flight following stints in the second and third divisions. Barcelona, on the other hand, comes into this game fresh off a 1-0 victory over Osasuna. Vitor Roque’s first goal for the team secured a crucial three points on Wednesday.
With a record of 14 wins, 5 draws, and 3 losses from 22 games, Barcelona is still in fourth place in the standings with 47 points, eight points behind Girona, the leaders of the league. Despite the recent criticism, the defending champions are still in the running for the championship and have won four of their past five league games. They are also still aiming for Champions League glory. With 20 points from 10 games, the Catalan team has the third-best road record in La Liga this year.
Team News
Due to a chronic knee injury, Aleksandar Sedlar will not be available for Alaves again. Andoni Gorosabel is suspended after receiving a yellow card against Almeria earlier in the game. Gorosabel’s replacement in the starting lineup is anticipated to be Nahuel Tenaglia. The starting lineup may be the same as it was when playing against the team at the bottom of the division began. With help from Carlos Vicente and Luis Rioja, Samu Omorodion, a teenage player on loan from Atletico Madrid, will continue in the last part of the field after scoring twice against Almeria.
In the meantime, Barcelona lost a ninth player to injury in their match against Osasuna. Ferran Torres sustained a thigh ailment that is anticipated to keep him out of action for five weeks. Joao Felix, Segi Roberto, Alejandro Balde, Rapinha, Marcos Alonso, Gavi, and Marc-Andre ter Stegen will also not be available this weekend. However, with the center back nearing the conclusion of his recuperation from a muscle problem. Inigo Martinez has a remote chance of making a comeback to the team. For this game, Fermin Lopez might start in place of Torres because Roque is still not expected to start, and Andreas Christensen is expected to be called up to play in the middle of the defense.
Alaves 1-2 Barcelona
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