Prediction: Elche vs Barcelona

Prediction: Barcelona to win 4-0

Best Odds: 14/1

Bookmaker: Betfair

Elche and Barcelona will face each other in La Liga this coming weekend. The match between Sebastian Beccacece’s side and Xavi’s team will be held at Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero and is scheduled to kick off at 8pm UK time on Saturday.

Elche

Elche are a modest club in Spain who tend to struggle when they are in the Spanish top flight. And this season is no different. Elche have been the worst team in La Liga so far this campaign, and no one will be surprised if they do end up getting relegated from La Liga at the end of the season.

Sebastián Beccacece’s side are at the foot of the La Liga table at the moment with 13 points from 26 matches. Elche are as many as 13 points behind third-from-bottom Valencia and are 14 points behind 17th-placed Espanyol. It is really hard to see Los Franjiverdes escape the drop to the Segunda Division at the end of the season.

Elche will head into the match against Barcelona at home in La Liga on the back of a 2-0 defeat to Real Sociedad on the road in the league just before the two-week international break. It came after a 1-1 draw with Real Valladolid at home in La Liga and followed a 1-0 victory over Real Mallorca on the road in the league.

Team News:

Elche are likely to line up in a 5-3-2 formation. Edgar Badia will be in goal. Tele Morente and Clerc will be the two wing-backs, while Palacios, Gonzalo Verdu and Diego Gonzalez will be the three centre-backs. Fidel, Omar Mascarell and Gumbau will be three midfielders, while Boye and Nteka will be two centre-forwards.

Barcelona

Barcelona are doing extremely well in La Liga at the moment, and it is now looking very likely that they will end up winning the title this season. Xavi’s side may have failed in the UEFA Champions League and in the UEFA Europa League, but in the domestic arena, they are showing bitter rivals Real Madrid that they are the boss now.

The Blaugrana are at the top of the La Liga table at the moment with 68 points from 26 matches. Barcelona are as many as 12 points clear of second-placed and bitter rivals Real Madrid, who won the title last season. It is hard to see Barca slip up in the title race between now and the end of the season.

Barcelona head into the two-week international break on the back of a 2-1 victory over Real Madrid at Camp Nou in El Clasico. The win in the La Liga match has essentially secured their place as the winners of the Spanish domestic league this campaign. It came after a 1-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao away from home in the league and followed a 1-0 win against Valencia at Camp Nou in La Liga.

Team News:

Barcelona head coach Xavi is likely to deploy a 4-3-3 formation. Robert Lewandowski will be the central striker in a three-man front-three. Former Leeds United winger Raphinha and Spain international star Gavi will on either flank. Sergio Busquets, Sergi Roberto and Frenkie de Jong will be the three midfielders.

Key Factors to Consider

• Elche have won 2 La Liga matches all season.
• Elche have conceded 51 goals in 26 La Liga matches all campaign.
• Barcelona have lost just 2 La Liga games all season.
• Barcelona have conceded only 9 goals in 26 La Liga games so far this season.
• Robert Lewandowski has scored 15 goals and given 5 assists in 22 La Liga matches for Barcelona so far this campaign.

Conclusion

Elche are one of the worst teams in La Liga, and it is really hard to see them do anything of note again a Barcelona side who are very mean defensively. Barcelona have been the best team in La Liga so far this campaign, and they should be able to ease past Elche without conceding a single goal.

Prediction: Barcelona to win 4-0

Best Odds: 14/1

Bookmaker: Betfair