Barcelona will look to make it two straight wins in La Liga to reignite their title challenge when they visit Elche on Saturday night.
Hansi Flick’s side have been stellar domestically for three months now, winning 10 out of their last 11 La Liga contests. However, Barcelona have just a one point lead over Real Madrid atop the standings entering the weekend, meaning this isn’t a match where they can afford a slip-up.
Elche have been very impressive for a newly promoted side, but no wins in their last four matches have them sitting just three points clear of the relegation zone. At home, though, they will be motivated to try and defeat the Catalans for the first time since 1974.
Barcelona’s victory over Elche in the reverse fixture back in November started their sensational winning run. Now, they’ll be eager that a positive result on Saturday catapults their push for back-to-back La Liga titles.
Here is Sports Illustrated’s guide to the La Liga clash.
What Time Does Elche vs. Barcelona Kick Off?
- Location: Elche, Spain
- Stadium: Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero
- Date: Saturday, Jan. 31
- Kick-off Time: 3:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. PT / 8:00 p.m. GMT
Elche vs. Barcelona Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)
- Elche: 0 wins
- Barcelona: 5 wins
- Draws: 0
Current Form (All Competitions)
| Elche (LDLDL) | Barcelona (WWWLW) |
|---|---|
| Levante 3–2 Elche | Barcelona 4–1 Copenhagen |
| Elche 2–2 Sevilla | Barcelona 3–0 Real Oviedo |
| Real Betis 2–1 Elche | Slavia Prague 2–4 Barcelona |
| Valencia 1–1 Elche | Real Sociedad 2–1 Barcelona |
| Elche 1–3 Villarreal | Racing 0–2 Barcelona |
How to Watch Elche vs. Barcelona on TV, Live Stream
| Country | TV/Live Stream |
|---|---|
| United States | ESPN Select, fuboTV, ESPN App, ESPN Deportes |
| United Kingdom | Disney+ Premium, Premier Sports Player |
| Canada | TSN+ |
| Mexico | Sky Sports Mexico, Sky+ |
Elche Team News
Eder Sarabia’s men are dealing with multiple injuries, including Álvaro Núñez, Josan and Barcelona loanee Héctor Fort. But the most severe absence will be club captain Aleix Febas, who picked up a suspension for yellow card accumulation.
Fortunately for Elche, Rafa Mir and André Silva could be available after recovering from injury, with the latter being a strong candidate to start, partnering former Real Madrid youngster Álvaro Rodríguez up front.
Although Fort won’t be able to feature against his former teammates, goalkeeper Iñaki Peña, who was Barcelona’s starter during the infancy of the Flick era, will be eager to keep Barcelona scoreless in La Liga for the first time in 13 months.
Elche Predicted Lineup vs. Barcelona
Elche predicted lineup vs. Barcelona (5-3-2): Peña; Pedrosa, Chust, Affengruber, Pétrot, Valera; Diangana, Aguado, Neto; Rodríguez, Silva.
Barcelona Team News
Flick is expected to make changes to the side that took the pitch on Wednesday against Copenhagen in the Champions League, trying to refresh his XI after fielding a very attack-minded lineup midweek.
Pedri remains sidelined with a hamstring issue, but Frenkie de Jong will return to his usual spot in midfield after missing Wednesday’s clash through suspension. He could be partnered by 18-year-old Marc Bernal, who has looked sharp in recent cameos. Plus, his presence would allow Eric García to return to the heart of defense.
Elsewhere, Ferran Torres is back available and will likely replace Robert Lewandowski at striker, with Dani Olmo operating behind him as Fermín López, who just signed a contract renewal, gets some rest.
Winter signing João Cancelo wasn’t allowed to feature during the Champions League league phase, so Flick could give him another look in the league, this time at right back replacing Jules Koundé.
Barcelona Predicted Lineup vs. Elche
Barcelona Predicted Lineup vs. Elche (4-2-3-1): García; Cancelo, Cubarsí, García, Balde; De Jong, Bernal; Yamal, Olmo, Raphinha; Torres.
Elche vs. Barcelona Score Prediction
Barcelona’s early season defensive issues have resurfaced recently, once again becoming a side that looks vulnerable whenever opponents reach the final third. However, they’ve looked absolutely devastating in attack, and goals seem to come in bunches once they get a lead.
Against a defensively weak Elche side marred by notable absences, Barcelona should be able to return to Catalonia with all three points. It won’t be without challenges, but Flick’s side will be too much to handle for the hosts.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Elche vs. Barcelona: Preview, Predictions and Lineups.
