Match of the 22nd round of the La Liga between Elche and Barcelona will take place on 31 january at Manuel Martínez Valero stadium. Elche vs Barcelona: prediction, betting odds and statistics.
Elche
Last week the club suffered a painful defeat in an entertaining away game against Levante (2:3). Trailing in the score, the home side equalized in the 92nd minute, but then conceded another goal that proved decisive. This extended the team's winless run in the La Liga to four matches (2 draws, 2 losses). League victories have been rare: since the start of October the home side has taken three points in only 2 of 14 league games. Elche remain in the middle of the table, but the gap to the relegation zone is becoming precarious. The club is now only 3 points clear of 18th place.
- The team has not lost in 14 of their last 15 home matches in the La Liga (7 wins, 7 draws).
- The club's scoring run in the Spanish championship currently stands at 7 games.
- Elche covered the spread (+1.5) in 8 of their previous 10 matches in this competition.
Potential Elche Lineup (4-5-1)*
Iñaki Peña – David Affengruber, Adrià Pedrosa, Leo Petro, Hernán Varela – Martim Neto, Grady Diangana, Marc Aguado, Aleix Febas, Yago Santiago – Álvaro Rodríguez.
Defender Víctor Chust returns from suspension, but midfielder Aleix Febas will now serve a suspension. Defenders Álvaro Núñez and Héctor Fort, as well as midfielder Josan, are injured. The participation of forward Rafa Mir is in doubt.
Barcelona
Barcelona remain top of the table. After an unexpected defeat to Real Sociedad in mid-January the team bounced back and thrashed Oviedo (3:0). The club recorded their 10th victory in 11 recent La Liga rounds and their main rival Real Madrid still trail by just 1 point. The side continue to score in every game this La Liga season, totaling 57 goals — the largest margin in the competition. Overall the team's scoring run in the La Liga stretches to 41 matches.
- Barcelona kept a clean sheet in 4 of their last 5 La Liga matches.
- The club's uncompromising run in this competition stands at 18 matches (15 wins, 3 losses).
- At least 2 goals have been scored in 26 of the club's La Liga matches.
Potential Barcelona Lineup (4-2-3-1)*
Joan García – João Cancelo, Pau Cubarsí, Eric García, Gerard Martí – Frenkie de Jong, Marc Casado – Dani Olmo, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha – Robert Lewandowski.
Defender Andreas Christensen, as well as midfielders Pedri and Gavi, are unavailable due to injuries.
Elche vs Barcelona: Match Prediction
Elche badly lack stability. The team alternates results and does not lose too often, but victories have become rare events — there have been very few in recent months. In the last 14 La Liga rounds the club has taken three points in only two cases. At the same time it is worth noting that the home side regularly take part in goal exchanges. Both teams have scored in 5 of Elche's last 6 La Liga matches.
Barcelona sit first in the table and cannot afford to drop points due to pressure from Real Madrid, who are only 1 point behind. Overall the visitors have been confident over the campaign, winning 10 of their last 11 league matches. Away from home the club have won 7 of their last 11 La Liga games, and have kept a clean sheet in only 3 of those matches. It is also worth adding that Barcelona have won 9 consecutive head-to-head La Liga meetings with Elche.
Prediction: Barcelona To Win And Both Teams To Score
* For each team the starting lineup shown is the one used in their previous match in this competition.
