Barcelona have, what should be, an easy game against relegation-threatened Sporting Gijón.
Form
Barcelona go into this match on a seventeen game unbeaten run which originated at the beginning of October. Since the start of the calendar year, they have only lost twice in all competitions. The humiliation against PSG is still in recent memory, though. Aside from that game, they have been in good form. In contrast, Sporting Gijón are in poor form with only four points in the last five games, and five points in the last ten. This form reflects why they are currently in a relegation dogfight.
Squads
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The Catalans get Javier Mascherano back from injury. Arda Turan has also been given the medical all clear, but he isn’t included in the matchday squad. In addition, Jérémy Mathieu has joined the injury list after spraining ankle ligaments against Atlético Madrid. Aleix Vidal is out injured for the rest of the season, and Jordi Masip isn’t included in the squad. Sporting Gijón have a few issues to deal with as well. The Asturians are without Jorge Meré due to suspension, and injuries to Dani Ndi and Jean-Sylvain Babin mean they are both unavailable.
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History
Recent history favours Barça in this fixture with five wins from five, and nine wins from ten. The last two games assert the dominance of the Catalans because the combined aggregate score of both games is 11-0. This game shouldn’t be any different because Gijón haven’t improved, and Barcelona are still trying to prove that they are a force to be reckoned with. The total amount of goals scored in the last ten games between the two is thirty-one, so expect plenty in this match.
Playing Style
Los Rojiblancos like to play an intense pressing game, but the fact that they are playing against Barcelona means that they are likely to limit it to their own half. This will allow them to keep their shape, which is key against such a talented side. They are likely to rely on counter-attacks rather than winning the ball high up the pitch. Therefore, they are likely to play a compact narrow shape in order to limit the space for the creative front three of Barcelona.
The Catalans should win this as long as they don’t make any defensive mistakes, and ensure that they move the ball quickly as well as providing overlaps in order to disorganise Gijón’s defence. Neymar is going to be key to this due to his ability to take-on defenders successfully, so he is likely to be the main creator with Lionel Messi dropping into midfield and providing the key through-balls if the Asturians are tough to break down. Messi and Luis Suárez will fancy their chances of scoring after seeing Kévin Gameiro score a seven minute hat-trick against the same opponent.
This could be a great time for Luis Enrique to get Andrés Iniesta and Sergio Busquets up to match fitness. Neither is quite fully match sharp after their respective return from injuries with Iniesta being a bystander against Atlético. It’s vital that they are both fully fit if Barcelona want to even dream of overturning the Champions League tie against PSG. This game and the weekend match against Celta Vigo are the only games they can regain fitness in, prior to the PSG second leg, so they haven’t got a lot of time.
Prediction: FC Barcelona 4-0 Sporting Gijón
Predicted Lineup
If Mascherano doesn’t start, the formation will be the usual 4-3-3 with Lucas Digne playing at left-back.