Almería vs FC Barcelona
La Liga this season
View moreOutcome Breakdown
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Bet | FC Barcelona |
Stake | 1.5 unit |
Odds | 1.42 |
Bookmaker | betsson |
Barcelona eyeing four-point lead over top-two rivals Girona.
In a seemingly inconsequential yet intriguing clash, relegated UD Almería hope to defy the odds and secure a back-to-back home victory against FC Barcelona at the Power Horse Stadium this Thursday at 20:30 GMT+1.
Almería
Already-relegated Almería take on FC Barcelona, having very little to play for but aiming for a strong finish ahead of life in the Segunda División. The Rojiblancos are seated in 20th place on the La Liga table, following three defeats in five games [DLLWL]. They have only managed to pick up 17 points after just two victories all season [2W, 11D, & 22L].
Heading into their penultimate home game, Almería holds the worst defensive record in the competition, having conceded 70 goals, an average of 2.0 goals per game. The Rojiblancos lost 3-2 to Betis last weekend at the Benito Villamarín. Luka Romero brought them within a goal in the 66th minute, but they were unable to find a third goal to equalize.
Despite this being a dead-rubber game for the home side, Almería is hoping to pick up a famous win against Barcelona. Historically, UD Almería have won just one of their 15 meetings with Barcelona in La Liga [1W, 2D, 12L], with that lone victory coming in their last meeting at the Power Horse Stadium last season [1-0]. They are on the verge of becoming the second team to defeat Barcelona in back-to-back home games since the start of last season, behind Real Madrid.
However, Almería have won just one of their six matches on Thursday in La Liga [1W, 2D, 3L]. They are expected to line up in a 4-3-3 formation with Anthony Lozano leading the attack. Manager Pepe Mel will be without the suspended duo of Gonzalo Melero and Largie Ramazani.
FC Barcelona
With Girona losing 1-0 to Villarreal on Tuesday night, Barcelona were able to keep second place. The Catalans, with 76 points, could now extend their lead over Girona to four points ahead of their final two games.
Barcelona have won 12 of their 15 matches against UD Almeria in La Liga. Furthermore, the Catalans have not lost an away game in La Liga on a Thursday since November 1997 against Athletic Club, collecting a point in each of their last seven away matches on that day in the competition.
Xavi is expected to keep the weekend’s attacking trio of Lewandowski, Yamine Lawal, and Raphinha in the 4-3-3 formation seen in the weekend’s 2-0 win over Real Sociedad. Ilkay Gündogan is suspended for this midweek clash, while Frenkie De Jong remains sidelined for the rest of the season.
João Félix, who is nearing the end of his season-long loan at Barcelona, remains in contention for a rare start.
Team form
Showing the latest five games—giving you a quick look at recent performance trends. Teams in good form tend to do well in the next match.
Team Comparison
Side-by-side assessment of team statistics, including goals, attacks, and more. This allows you to directly compare key performance metrics. Analyzing these stats can reveal patterns and strengths that might influence the outcome.