Barcelona will look to bounce back from their disappointing loss in the Champions League when they welcome Elche to Camp Nou this weekend for their sixth game of the 2022/23 La Liga season.
Venue: Camp Nou (Barcelona)
Key Statistics
Barcelona have scored 3+ goals in each of their last five league games.
They have conceded one goal in their last five league games.
Eight of Barça’s last 15 league goals came beyond the hour mark.
Elche have conceded first in their last ten La Liga games.
The visitors have failed to score in three of their last five games.
They have failed to score in six of their last seven competitive away games against Barca.
Head to head
Elche have lost each of their last eight competitive games against Barcelona.
Latest performances in all competitions
Barcelona: L-W-W-W-W
Elche: L-L-L-D-L
Barcelona
Barcelona return to La Liga action on Saturday evening when they welcome Elche to the Camp Nou.
Xavi’s team come into this game off the back of a disappointing loss to Bayern Munich in midweek. The Blaugrana came into the game as favourites after a massive splurge on summer transfers.
Xavi’s men controlled the game in the first half, creating chances upon chances but failing to convert, with Robert Lewandowski the chief culprit on the night. Bayern Munich returned in the second half much stronger and took a well-deserved lead when Lucas Hernandez nodded home a Joshua Kimmich cross in the 50th minute. Leroy Sane scored four minutes later to secure all three points for the Bavarians, after going on a fine solo run.
Xavi Hernandez berated his team’s wastefulness in front of the goal on the night and will be hoping that his team bounces back from their defeat against the Germans as they continue their quest to wrestle the League title from Real Madrid.
Despite their midweek capitulation, Barcelona have been in fine form domestically, winning four out of their five games so far this season, including a 0-4 win over Cadiz in their last league outing and are yet to taste defeat.
Possible Barcelona starting line-up
Marc Ter Stegen; Hector Bellerin, Ronald Araujo, Gerard Pique, Alex Balde; Gavi, Sergio Busquets, Frenkie de Jong; Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, Ousmane Dembele.
Injured: None
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
Elche
Elche face an uphill task when they travel to Camp Nou to take on Xavi’s men, having lost all of their last five encounters with the Spanish giants.
Los Franjiverdes come into this game off the back of a 1-4 loss to Athletic Club last weekend, and now they will be looking to bounce back from their recent loss.
Elche have the second worst defensive record in the Spanish top flight this season, having conceded 13 goals. Francisco Rodríguez will be anxious about how to fix his team’s vulnerable rear end for the trip to Catalunya as they come up against the side with the joint best-attacking output in the division with 15 goals, and unless the Spaniard finds a way to fix that problem, Elche may be in for an embarrassment at the Camp Nou.
Francisco Rodriguez will be hoping to adopt the template that was used by the only team who have been able to stop the Catalans this season.
In their opening game against Rayo Vallecano earlier this season, Xavi’s men came up against a physical side with the Catalans on the receiving end of some hard tackles which saw the visitors pick up six yellow cards.
The tactics disrupted the fluidity of the Blaugrana, who resorted to the same tactics and were reduced to ten men when Sergio Busquets received his marching orders late in the game.
Possible Elche starting line-up
Edgar Badia; Pol Lirola, Enzo Roco, Pedro Bigas; Ferandez Mercau, Omar Mascarell, Fidel, Alex Collado; Pere Milla, Lucas Boye.
Injured: Gerard Gumbau, Gonzalo Verdu
Doubtful: None
Suspended: John Chetauya
Prediction
Barcelona 3-0 Elche
