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FC Barcelona travel to Deportivo Alavés in La Liga Matchday 22

By Benjamin Barkworth

BARCELONA, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 10: FC Barcelona players observe a minute of silence prior to the La Liga match between FC Barcelona and Deportivo Alaves at Camp Nou stadium on September 10, 2016 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
BARCELONA, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 10: FC Barcelona players observe a minute of silence prior to the La Liga match between FC Barcelona and Deportivo Alaves at Camp Nou stadium on September 10, 2016 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images) /
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The Catalans have a tough game against the only side to beat them at the Camp Nou this season.

Form

Barcelona are in a good run of form currently with a total of ten games unbeaten in all competitions. They have won seven times in that period, and three of them wins were away from home. Alavés are in a similar run of form with only one loss in the last ten games. However, they have only won three times in that period. There has actually been more 0-0 draws than wins with four of them, so they are a hard team to beat currently.

Squads

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Luis Enrique has a few injuries to contend with. Arda Turan has picked up a groin problem which rules him out, and Javier Mascherano is out due to a hamstring injury that he picked up against Atlético Madrid. Rafinha is also out due to a broken nose, which he is still recovering from. Gerard Piqué has also been omitted from the squad due to an injury concern. Neymar is back after his suspension in the Copa del Rey, which is great news. Alavés have a few injuries to deal with as well. Rodrigo Ely and Einar Galilea both miss the game. The main loss for them, though, is Édgar Méndez who was the midweek hero for them as he scored against Celta Vigo to take them to the Copa del Rey final.

Next: 3TWL: FC Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid

History

Recent history is limited with five games in the last ten years. Aside from the last game, Barcelona have won all the recent meetings. The Catalans have outscored their opponents twelve goals to five. However, four of those games were in the Copa del Rey, and the sheer difference in years between the games means that little can be inferred from the history. The only important result is the Alaves win due to it being this season, so El Glorioso have the advantage in this area.

BARCELONA, SPAIN – FEBRUARY 7: Leo Messi of Barcelona gestures during the King’s Cup (Copa del Rey) match between FC Barcelona and Atletico de Madrid at Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona, Spain on February 7, 2017. (Photo by Albert Llop/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
BARCELONA, SPAIN – FEBRUARY 7: Leo Messi of Barcelona gestures during the King’s Cup (Copa del Rey) match between FC Barcelona and Atletico de Madrid at Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona, Spain on February 7, 2017. (Photo by Albert Llop/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) /

Playing Style

Mauricio Pellegrino has focused on making his team defensively solid and compact. They may not be exciting to watch, but they are hard to beat. An example of this is the reverse fixture at Camp Nou where they defended deep and played on the counter, which was successful because they won 2-1.

Barcelona have the benefit of their experience of playing these opponents in the reverse fixture. This means that they shouldn’t be surprised by Alavés this time around. Luis Enrique did some excessive squad rotation in the last games, so he is unlikely to take such a risk this time. The familiarity with how the opposition sets up means that Barcelona should be prepared for this game, and the gulf in quality should be the difference in this game.

In terms of the lineup, Enrique will have the PSG game in the back of his mind. However, he won’t want to take too many risks. Therefore, Sergio Busquets is likely to start along with Sergi Roberto, Ivan Rakitić, Lionel Messi and Neymar to form an experienced spine to the team. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Paco Alcácer given a starting berth after his first league goal against Athletic Bilbao.

Prediction: Deportivo Alavés 0-2 FC Barcelona

Predicted Lineup

Aleix Vidal instead of Sergi Roberto is a possibility.