Get ready for the highly anticipated clash between Barcelona and Elche, with comprehensive match preview, expert predictions, and all the crucial lineup details ahead of their encounter.
The wounded champions look to return to winning ways when they host the newly promoted Elche on Sunday night.
According to FotMob reporting, Barcelona will host newly-promoted Elche on Sunday, aiming to halt a concerning run of form that saw them lose 2-1 to Real Madrid in El Clásico last weekend.
The defeat confirmed a “challenging reality” for Hansi Flick’s side, who have now suffered three defeats in their last five matches across all competitions.
The Catalan giants, who sit five points adrift of league leaders Real Madrid, are under pressure to secure a victory. As the report notes, “Barcelona can’t afford to drop points against Elche,” as they risk falling further behind in the title race.
However, Barcelona enters the fixture grappling with a significant injury list, with Marc-André ter Stegen, Gavi, Raphinha, and Pedri all ruled out.
The latter, Pedri, is also suspended. Young star Lamine Yamal and forwards Marcus Rashford and Ferran Torres are expected to lead the attack.
In contrast, Elche, managed by Eder Sarabia, have enjoyed a strong start to their return to the Spanish top flight, sitting eighth in the table after going seven games unbeaten early in the season.
he visitors, who are expected to field loanee goalkeeper Iñaki Peña, will be led up front by André Silva and Rafa Mir.
Despite Elche’s resilience and Barça’s woes, history favors the home side, who have won their last 10 games against Elche and have never lost to the Alicante-based club on home soil.
The report predicts that “It won’t be pretty, but Flick’s men will respond and extend their win streak against Elche to 11 games.”