LA LIGA PREVIEW: ELCHE VS BARCELONA

La Liga is back! On the eve of Palm Sunday, Barcelona visit Elche in search of more good vibes.

After defeating Real Madrid yet again, this time in the league, Barcelona are now 12 points clear at the top. It'll probably take a disaster in the form of a meteor shower to prevent them from winning the league title at this point. Confidence is high and the team are looking to complete the domestic treble, which will be an insane achievement, considering where they were the last couple of years. After what feels like forever, there's reason to believe in Barcelona again.

The same can't be said for their hosts, Elche, who are all but sure to drop to Segunda Division next season after a disastrous campaign. They're currently on their fourth manager this season, which tells you the level of instability they've been dealing with. 13 points so far the season, they are firmly rooted at the bottom of the table and will likely finish there. This game is all about them giving a good account of themselves against the best possible opponent, which will serve as a bit of a morale booster.

INTERESTING STATS 

- We have to go all the way back to 1974 to find the last occasion Elche that managed to beat Barça, when Rinus Michels was on the blaugrana bench and Johan Cruyff was still playing.

- In fact, in a run dating back to 1984, Elche failed to score a single goal in ten games against Barça, which was the Catalans’ longest ever run without conceding against the same team. That run ended last season.

- Barcelona are the second-highest-scoring team in the league with 49 goals to their name.

- Elche have the worst defensive record in the league having conceded 51 goals.

Barcelona have the best defensive record in the league. They have conceded just 9 goals all season long.

- Elche have won just two matches in the entire season. Every other team in the division have won more than five matches.

- Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski has 20 goal contributions in the league.

Last five meetings 

17/09/22  Barça 3 (Lewandowski 2,                               Memphis) Elche 0

06/03/22  Elche 1 Barça 2 (Torres,                                 Memphis)

18/12/21  Barça 3 (Jutglà, Gavi, Nico)                           Elche 2

24/02/21  Barça 3 Elche 0 (Messi 2, Alba)

24/01/21 Elche 0 Barça 2 (De Jong, Puig)

TEAM NEWS

Elche

Pablo Machin was sacked after the loss to Real Sociedad before the international break and replaced by Argentinian Sebastián Beccacece, a long time assist of Jorge Sampaoli. No one will envy Sebastián in his position right now.

Elche will be missing both Pape Cheikh and Lucas Boye through suspension this weekend, while Lisandro Magallan, Enzo Roco, Alex Collado and John Donald are on the sidelines through injury. Elche do have a major boost as their leading goalscorer in the league this season (6) Pere Milla is available for this fixture.

Machin is expected to go ahead with the 3-4-3 formation which will act like the 5-3-2 for the majority of the match given the amount of ball possession the visitors are expected to have. Edgar Badia will start in goal while Helibelton Palacios, Gonzalo Verdu and Diego Gonzalez will be the back three.

Carlos Clerc and Tete Morente will play the role of wing-backs as they will start in the midfield four alongside former Barça player Gerard Gumbau and Omar Mascarell. Ezequiel Ponce and Fidel Chaves will start out wide as the wingers. Meanwhile, Pere Milla will be leading the attack for the home team.

Barcelona

The visitors will be without the services of Ousmane Dembele, Frenkie de Jong, Andreas Christensen and Pedri through injuries. Raphinha misses through suspension. Ronald Araujo has been given the green light to be a part of the squad but is unlikely to start due to the upcoming El Clasico. 

 Marc-Andre ter Stegen will be in goal. 

Jordi Alba and Marcos Alonso have a chance to return to the staring XI, with Koundé moving back to CB position and Sergi Roberto starting as RB. Sergio Busquets will once again start as the holding midfielder, while Franck Kessie and Gavi will be in his support. 

Ferran Torres and Ansu Fati are more than likely to start, both with a point to prove. Robert Lewandowski will lead the attack as he looks to break his current drought in front of goal.

We could see some debuts as well, in the form of Garrido and Estanis. Torre, Alarcón and Casadó could also feature.

Where and when are Elche vs Barcelona playing?

Location: Elche, Spain

Stadium: Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero

Date: Saturday 1 April

Kick-off Time: 20:00 BST / 15:00 ET / 12:00 PST, 21:00 🇳🇬

Referee: Carlos del Cerro Grande

What a mismatch, eh? 55 points separate the two teams, the largest gap between first and last at this stage of the season in La Liga History. That says it all about who's the favorite to win this one, even with injuries to key players. 

LA LIGA PREVIEW: BARCELONA VS REAL MADRID

It's one of the most crucial clasicos in recent history. Only one acceptable outcome: WIN!.

One of the greatest rivalries in the history of the game comes to the fore tonight: Barcelona host Real Madrid at the Camp Nou as they battle it out for 3 crucial points. The hosts need it to go 12 points clear at the top and further cement their hopes of winning La Liga, the visitors need it to stay alive, only just, in the title race. Who wins and who loses?

Barcelona remain quite unstoppable in the league, coming into this clash on the back of another 1-0 victory, this time at San Mames, one of the toughest grounds in La Liga. They've endured two defeats and two draws so far this season, conceding only 8 goals, one of them at home. They should have all the confidence they need to win this tie.

Real Madrid however, are way off the pace in La Liga, contrary to their form in the Champions League, where they just booked a spot in the quarter finals a few days ago over Liverpool with a 6-2 aggregate win. They know that it'll take a monumental collapse from the rivals to give them any chance in the La Liga title race, and they have the opportunity to trouble them tonight.

INTERESTING STATS

- This is Xavi's first El Clasico in the Camp Nou as manager. He has overseen six clasicos so far, three in the Bernabeu, the other three on neutral grounds, winning four of them.

- His only losses are the Supercup semifinal last year in Saudi Arabia (3-2) and the reverse league fixture in October, where Barcelona lost 3-1 at the Bernabeu.

-Barcelona have the best defence in the league, having conceded just eight goals so far.

-Real Madrid have the best attack in the league, they have found the back of the net on 50 occasions so far.

-Barcelona have won 22 out of their last 48 fixtures against Real Madrid.

-Robert Lewandowski has 15 goals in his 20 league starts for the Catalan giants.

-Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema has 11 goals in his 15 league starts for Real Madrid.

-Los Blancos have 101 wins in official Clasico games, compared to 99 for the Blaugrana.

TEAM NEWS

Barcelona 

Ousmane Dembele and Pedri remain crucial absentees for Xavi. The Catalans have however, found ways to win games without their main men and can do so here as well.

Marc Andre TerStegen will resume his duties at the goal post, looking to keep yet another clean sheet. The meanest defense in La Liga remains intact, as Ronald Araujo is welcomed back from suspension. Xavi could use 3 or 4 midfielders in this game, which means Kessie may join Gavi, DeJong and Busquets. Raphinha, who has been getting the goals recently, will continue alongside Robert Lewandowski, who is desperately in need of a goal right now. Ansu Fati and Ferran Torres remain options in attack.

Real Madrid

Carlo Ancelotti will be without the services of David Alaba, who is sidelined with a hamstring strain. Everyone else is available. Ferland Mendy and Karim Benzema have been deemed got enough to return to the squad.

Belgian shot-stopper Thibaut Courtois will be in goal. Nacho and Dani Carvajal will be the full-backs, while Eder Militao and Antonio Rudiger will pair up in the heart of the defence.

Tchouameni will slot in as the holding midfielder, while Camavinga will keep his place in the centre of the park, alongside Luka Modric. Karim Benzema, Federico Valverde and Vinicius Junior will form the attack. 

Where and when are Barcelona vs Real Madrid playing?

Location: Barcelona, Spain

Stadium: Camp Nou

Date: Sunday 19 March

Kick-off Time: 20:00 BST / 15:00 ET / 12:00 PT

Referee: Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea

VAR: TBC

It's the El Clasico, and as such, there are no favorites. Both teams desperately want the win and will go all out to get it. The best attack in the league squaring up against the best defense should make for a riveting clash.

LA LIGA PREVIEW: ATHLETIC CLUB VS BARCELONA

The Catalans travel to Basque country in search for another 3 points.

Barça enjoyed a rare week off in-between games after their victory over Valencia, but are back in action tonight, looking to recover their nine point lead in La Liga after Los Blancos saw off Espanyol at the Bernabeu.

Suffering only two defeats in the league after 24 games, Xavi's men have been imperious in La Liga and are currently favorites to win the title this season. Every game is a final now, and it starts tonight at San Mames.

The home side had a great start to the season but have trailed off recently, winning just one of their last five games in all competitions which have seen them drop to ninth position.

They remain four points behind sixth placed Villarreal however, so a finish in a European spot isn't far from reality. Can they get anything out of this fixture though?

INTERESTING STATS

- Barcelona have won 29 games out of the 45 encounters between the two teams. They have only lost seven times.

- Athletic Bilbao midfielder Oihan Sancet has scored eight goals in 22 league starts this season.

- Striker Gorka Guruzeta who has started just seven league games this season has five goals to his name.

- Robert Lewandowski is leading the race for the La Liga golden boot and has 20 goal contributions in 19 league starts for Barcelona this season.

- Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele has ten goal contributions in 14 league starts in the ongoing season.

- In the last four years, Athletic have knocked Barça out of the Copa del Rey twice and also the Spanish Super Cup once. But despite those slips in knockout competitions, the Catalans have remained solid in the league, losing just one of their last 18 meetings with the Basques.

Last five meetings 

23/10/22 (LIGA) Barça 4-0 Athletic

27/02/22 (LIGA) Barça 4-0 Athletic

20/01/22 (COPA DEL REY) Athletic 3-2 Barça

21/08/21 (LIGA): Athletic 1-1 Barça

17/04/21 (COPA DEL REY): Athletic 0-4 Barça

TEAM NEWS

Athletic Club

Oihan Sancet, the Basque outfit's top scorer this season, will miss the game after being sent off in Vallecas last week. Unai Simon, Iñigo Lekue, Jon Morcillo and Ander Herrera are all sidelined due to injuries. Barça target Iñigo Martinez has recovered from his foot injury and will want to give a big performance to hopefully convince Alemany and co.

Julen Agirrezabala will continue to deputize in goal. The back four will likely comprise of Oscar De Marcos,  Inigo Martinez, Yeray Alvarez, Yuri Berchiche. 

Mikel Vesga and Dani Garcia will look to start as the double pivots in front of the defence. Nico Williams, Iker Muniain, and Alex Berenguer will team up in the midfield behind their star striker Inaki Williams. The Williams brothers will be key to Athletic Club's chances of getting anything from this game.

Barcelona 

Pedri and Ousmane Dembele remain unavailable for selection, but are edging closer to a return. Ronald Araujo was sent off last weekend and won't be available until the Clasico. Robert Lewandowski has recovered from his hamstring problems and is in the squad again. Gavi is available after returning from suspension.

The rest of the team picks itself. TerStegen, Balde, Christensen, Koundé will retain their spots. After a brazen performance at the Bernabeu, Marcos Alonso might get the nod over Eric Garcia to complete the backline.

Sergio Busquets, Frank Kessie, Raphinha and Ferran Torres are all at risk of suspension and will have to tread carefully in San Mames, which might see Sergi Roberto get a nod in Midfield. Ansu Fati was unfortunately not given enough time to get into rhythm against Valencia but will likely get the nod over Torres in attack.

Where are Athletic Club vs Barcelona playing?

Location: Bilbao, Spain

Stadium: San Mames

Date: Sunday 12 March

Kick-off Time: 20:00 GMT / 15:00 ET / 12:00 PT

Referee: Jesus Gil Manzano

San Mames has become a sort of fortress for the home side, but when the big boys come to town, anything can happen, and it doesn't get bigger than Barcelona right now. 

After seeing Los Blancos cut the gap to Six points, Xavi's men will be poised to grab all three points ahead of the potential title decider next weekend.

LA LIGA PREVIEW: BARCELONA VS VALENCIA

The Catalans once again have the chance to go 10 points clear, this time likely temporarily though.

Following the impressive win at the Bernabeu a few days ago, the league leaders turn their attention back to La Liga as they host a struggling Valencia side. Xavi showed his pragmatism in the latest edition of El Clasico, adapting to the current condition of the squad to grind out a crucial win, in the first leg of the Copa del Rey Semis, which has been the norm for Barcelona this season anyways. That win should give them the confidence to continue their winning run after experiencing a bit of a rough patch recently.

On any other day, Valencia would fancy their chances at the Camp Nou, following their 1-0 win over top 4 contenders Real Sociedad, but their current status, coupled with that of their hosts, makes this an uphill battle for them. Any side fighting to stay up should never be taken for granted however, especially at this moment in the season when anyone can be punished. We expect them to keep fighting, but what are their chances of getting anything out of this game?

INTERESTING STATS

- Barcelona have not lost in their last six La Liga home games against Valencia

 - Barcelona are undefeated in 33 of their last 37 matches against Valencia in all competitions.

- Barcelona have scored at least two goals in five of their last six home matches against Valencia in all competitions.

- Valencia are without a clean sheet in their last five games in this fixture.

- Barcelona are are yet to taste defeat at home in La Liga this season.

- Valencia have picked up just six points on the road in the league this season.

Last five meetings

29/10/22 Valencia 0-1 Barça (Lewandowski)

20/02/22 (LIGA) Valencia 1-4 Barça (Aubameyang 2, F de Jong, Pedri)

17/9/21 (LIGA) Barça 3 (Ansu Fati, Memphis, Coutinho) Valencia 1

2/5/21 (LIGA) Valencia 2-3 Barça (Messi 2, Griezmann)

19/12/20 (LIGA) Barça 2 (Messi, Araujo) Valencia 2

TEAM NEWS

Barcelona

Xavi still remains short of attacking options due to the absence of Lewandowski and Dembele, hence his reason for lifting a thing or two out of the Diego Simeone playbook at the Bernabeu. The good thing is, both are close to a return, just like Pedri, another player who has been sorely missed. Andreas Christensen has shaken off his ankle discomfort and is back in contention. Gavi and Xavi will miss this clash due to accumulation of yellow cards.

We expect a similar lineup to the Clasico due to the options available. Christensen should replace Alonso in the defense and Ansu Fati should replace Gavi up front. The midfield trio of Busquets, DeJong and Kessie performed admirably on Thursday and will feature once more, although Sergi Roberto could replace the ivorian.

Valencia

As for Los Che, Gabriel Paulista, Marcos de Sousa, Jose Gaya, Edinson Cavani, Nico Gonzalez and Jaume Domenech will miss the contest through injury.

Paulista picked up a leg problem against Real Sociedad last time out, which is likely to lead to Eray Comert coming into the middle of the defence.

Hugo Duro and Samuel Lino could be joined by Samu Castillejo in the final third of the field, while Hugo Guillamon is likely to feature in central midfield on Sunday afternoon.

Where and when are Barcelona vs Valencia playing?

Location: Barcelona, Spain

Stadium: Camp Nou

Date: Sunday 5 March

Kick-off Time: 15:15 GMT / 10:15 ET / 07:15 PT, 16:15 🇳🇬

Referee: Javier Alberola Rojas

Barcelona know their slip up against Almeria was more than a warning about complacency, and they'll look to avoid that this weekend.

Both teams come into this game on the back of a morale boosting 1-0 win, which could make for a tricky contest, but the Catalans, as always, will remain favored in this tie.

COPA DEL REY PREVIEW: REAL MADRID VS BARCELONA

The El Clasico trilogy starts today! Who comes out on top?

Barcelona are back in Copa del Rey action. As the most successful team in the competition, they're gunning for yet another final. Their form of recent hasn't been the best, suffering two consecutive losses this past week. But if there's any game that can motivate the team to get back to winning ways, it's the Clasico at the Bernabeu.

Real Madrid, unlike their rivals, have experienced a bit of an upswing in form recently. They were unable to follow their trashing of Liverpool with a win in the Madrid Derby however. Still lagging 7 points behind Barcelona in the league, last week's defeat of the Catalans at Almeria will make Los Blancos wonder if La Liga has truly slipped from their grasps. But they'll want to start with a victory in the Clasico.

INTERESTING STATS

-Real Madrid have not last lost a match at home since April 2022. Their last defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu came against Chelsea in the Champions League.

- Barcelona’s 18-game unbeaten run came to an end when they lost in the second leg of the Europa League knockout against Manchester United. Currently, they are on a two-game losing streak.

- Real Madrid and Barcelona have already met twice in the ongoing season. Real Madrid managed to win the league fixture at home while the Blaugrana won in the Spanish Super Cup final.

- Barcelona have not conceded a goal in their last two Copa del Rey matches.

Los Blancos have found the back of the net on six occasions in their last two Copa del Rey outings.

TEAM NEWS

REAL MADRID

Carlo Ancelotti will once again be without the services of Ferland Mendy, who is out injured. David Alaba will also miss this fixture because of the injury that he picked up in their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first-leg win over Liverpool.

Rodrygo and Tchouameni have made recoveries from their injuries and will be available for selection.

Thibaut Courtois will be in goal once again. The Real Madrid boss is expected to start with an unchanged back four. Dani Carvajal and Nacho will be the full-backs, while Eder Militao will pair up with Antonio Rudiger as the centre-backs.

Tchouameni and Modric will start alongside Toni Kroos in the midfield. And Federico Valverde will start as the right winger. The manager will surely start with Valverde because he is pretty aware of the importance he will have.

Valverde will be expected to drop back and make it 4-4-2 when Real Madrid defend. And, he has the legs to do it throughout the 90 minutes. Vinicius Junior will start on the left, while captain Karim Benzema will lead the line.

Barcelona

Xavi's injury list unfortunately keeps growing. Adding to Pedri and Dembele, Lewandowski has suffered a hamstring injury and is expected to be sidelined for the next couple of weeks. Andreas Christensen also reportedly has ankle discomfort and his participation at the Bernabeu is in question. Ansu Fati however, has made full recovery from a knee contusion and is available for selection.

Nevertheless, Xavi still has formidable weapons at his disposal. TerStegen is sure to start in goal. Eric Garcia or Marcos Alonso may take Christensen's spot in the backline that'll include Araujo, Kounde and Balde.

The midfield is where things get interesting. Pablo Torre has shown cause to be given more minutes. DeJong, Kessie, Gavi and Roberto are options, although it's difficult to predict how the midfield will lineup in Pedri's absence.

Barça are surprisingly short of attacking options. Raphinha, Ferran Torres, Ansu Fati and Angel Alcaron are the only options and will ahve to be at their clinical bests with any chances that may fall to them.

Where are Real Madrid vs Barcelona playing?

Location: Madrid, Spain

Stadium: Santiago Bernabeu

Date: Thursday 2 March

Kick-off Time: 20:00 GMT / 15:00 ET / 12:00 PT 21:00 🇳🇬

Referee: Jose Luis Munuera Montero

VAR: Jose Luis Gonzalez Gonzalez

El Clasico is always about passion, who want to win it the most. Team form leading to games like this aren't the best predictors of outcome.

What we expect is an entertaining clash involving two teams desperate for an upswing in momentum, a positive way to begin the month.

Let's go.