Barcelona will be looking to return to winning ways when they host Las Palmas at the Camp Nou on Saturday afternoon. After a couple of disappointing results in La Liga, Hansi Flick’s side will aim to secure a vital three points to maintain their position at the top of the table.
Currently, Barcelona are four points clear of second-placed Real Madrid, although their recent form has been shaky, having earned just one point from their last two league games. Las Palmas, on the other hand, are struggling in 17th place, just two points above the relegation zone.
Barcelona have experienced a slight wobble lately, suffering a 1-0 defeat to Real Sociedad earlier this month and then letting a two-goal lead slip away in their match against Celta Vigo last weekend.
Despite being 2-0 up with less than 10 minutes to go, a red card to Marc Casado in the 82nd minute turned the game on its head. Celta took full advantage, scoring twice in the final minutes to secure a 2-2 draw. As a result, Barcelona’s lead at the top of the table is no longer as comfortable as it once was, with Real Madrid breathing down their necks.
Despite these setbacks, Barcelona will be buoyed by their recent Champions League victory, a convincing 3-0 win over Brest on Tuesday night. The win left them in third place in the group, just three points behind leaders Liverpool.
At home, Barcelona have been near perfect this season, winning all five of their La Liga matches at the Camp Nou, and they will be hoping to continue that record against Las Palmas.
Las Palmas, who are in a relegation battle, come into this match off the back of a 3-2 defeat to Mallorca. The game saw a dramatic late winner from Johan Mojica, but the loss left Las Palmas in 17th place, only two points above the drop zone.
Since the appointment of Diego Martinez as head coach in October, Las Palmas have shown some improvement, winning four of their last six matches in all competitions. However, their away form has been poor, with five losses from their seven away games in La Liga this season.
The Canary Islanders face an incredibly tough task on Saturday. They haven’t beaten Barcelona in any competition since February 1991, and their last La Liga victory over the Catalan giants came in February 1986.
Las Palmas’ record away from home in the league against Barcelona is even worse, with no wins in La Liga since 1971. Despite this, Las Palmas have shown resilience under Martinez, and they’ll be hoping to use that to cause an upset in what will undoubtedly be a challenging match at the Camp Nou.
For Barcelona, the importance of getting back to winning ways cannot be overstated. With Real Madrid still hot on their heels and a busy fixture schedule ahead—including a Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund and a home clash with Atletico Madrid—they will need to keep their focus and avoid any further slip-ups.
Las Palmas, on the other hand, will be desperate for points as they fight to stay out of the relegation zone. If they can somehow spring a surprise result in Barcelona, it would be a huge boost for their survival hopes. But with their struggles on the road and Barcelona’s strong home form, it’s clear that Las Palmas face a monumental challenge.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
Barcelona will be boosted by the return of Lamine Yamal for Saturday’s match against Las Palmas. The 17-year-old forward has been sidelined for the last three games due to an ankle injury, but he’s now fully fit and back in training. He’s expected to make his comeback in the starting lineup for this weekend's clash.
Ferran Torres is also likely to return to the squad after recovering from injury, but there are still a few absentees for Barcelona. Ronald Araujo has not yet joined full training, so the Uruguayan defender will miss out once again, alongside Ansu Fati, Marc Bernal, Andreas Christensen, and goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen.
Marc Casado is another notable absentee, as he’s serving a suspension after his red card in the 2-2 draw against Celta Vigo last weekend. This opens up a spot in midfield, with Frenkie de Jong expected to step in and play a key role in the middle of the park.
Gavi’s fitness is still being closely monitored after a recent injury, so he’s likely to feature as a substitute against Las Palmas, with minutes off the bench being the most probable scenario for the Spanish midfielder.
For Las Palmas, manager Diego Martinez will have a fully-fit squad to choose from, with no new injuries to report following their 3-2 loss to Mallorca. The team is expected to line up similarly to how they did in their previous match, with no major surprises in the starting XI.
Sandro Ramirez will be eager to face his former club, and he should start in attack alongside Manu Fuster, who’s also expected to keep his place in the forward line. Fabio Silva, who’s been in good form with three goals in his last five La Liga appearances, will continue to lead the charge in the final third. Meanwhile, Jaime Mata, Alberto Moleiro, and Oli McBurnie are all expected to start on the bench.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Barcelona possible starting lineup:
Pena; Kounde, Cubarsi, I Martinez, Balde; De Jong, Pedri; Yamal, Olmo, Raphinha; Lewandowski
Las Palmas possible starting lineup:
Cillessen; Rozada, Suarez, McKenna, Munoz; Essugo, Campana; Sandro, K Rodriguez, Fuster; F Silva
EXPERT PREDICTION
Barcelona 3-0 Las Palmas
Las Palmas' recent record against Barcelona is hard to overlook when predicting the outcome of this match. Given Barcelona's overall strength and the recent slip-up in La Liga, it's tough to see anything other than a comfortable win for Flick’s side here.
