Barcelona face a crucial La Liga encounter against Elche on Sunday evening as they look to bounce back from their disappointing 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid in El Clásico.
Barcelona vs Elche – Match Preview and Team News
- Date: Sunday, 2nd November.
- Kick-off: 5:30pm BST.
- Venue: Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona.
Barcelona Team News
Barcelona have received a significant boost ahead of the Elche clash, with Robert Lewandowski and Dani Olmo both returning to training this week following their respective injury troubles. Lewandowski is expected to be cleared to return to the squad for Sunday’s encounter after his hamstring injury, having been ruled out for the El Clásico defeat.
However, the Catalan giants will continue to be without several key players. Raphinha remains sidelined and Gavi will remain unavailable following a meniscus injury that requires surgery, with the Spanish midfielder expected to be out for four to five months. Marc-Andre ter Stegen also remains unavailable due to a back operation, while Pedri is both injured and suspended following his red card in El Clásico.
Joan Garcia, Barcelona’s summer arrival, is a doubt as well for the contest after undergoing a knee operation, though he is back in training and could potentially make his return on Sunday. Andreas Christensen is also a doubt as he continues to recover from a calf problem that kept him out of the Real Madrid fixture.
Elche Team News
Eder Sarabia’s Elche side is expected to have a fully fit squad at their disposal for the trip to Catalonia, with no injury problems being reported at this stage. Elche will be led by their key attacking threat, as forward Andre Silva, the team’s leading goalscorer in all competitions this season with four goals, continues to be vital to their attacking output.
Hector Fort, the Barcelona academy graduate currently on loan at Elche, is eligible to feature against his parent club but is expected to start on the bench as Eder Sarabia opts for a settled lineup. The young defender has featured in a limited capacity this season due to his recent arrival at the Valencian outfit.
Form
Barcelona
Hansi Flick’s side frustratingly ended October with defeat in El Clásico, but they had previously been on a strong run of form. However, away defeats to Sevilla and Real Madrid have cast doubt on their title credentials as they sit five points behind Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid with just over a quarter of the season completed.
Elche
Eder Sarabia’s side currently sits in eighth position with 14 points from 10 matches, recording three wins, five draws, and two defeats. However, their away form has been problematic, with the Green-striped ones collecting only three points from five league trips, with no victories on the road this season.
Elche recently suffered a 1-0 defeat to Espanyol in their last league outing and have won just one of their last five league matches, raising concerns about their consistency. However, a 4-0 Copa del Rey victory over UD Los Garres in midweek provided a morale boost heading into the Barcelona encounter.
Predicted Lineups
Barcelona: Szczesny; Kounde, Cubarsi, E Garcia, Balde; Casado, De Jong; Yamal, F Lopez, Rashford; Torres.
Elche: Pena; Chust, Affengruber, Bigas; Nunez, Neto, Febas, Aguado, Valera; Silva, Mir.
How to Watch Barcelona vs Elche?
UK fans can watch the match on Premier Sports 1, with the fixture available through Sky, Virgin Media, or online via the Premier Sports website and the STV Player.
Read Also – 5️⃣ spicy fixtures you must watch this weekend 🌶
See More – Arsenal injury boost as Arteta reveals trio near to returns
