Defending champions Barcelona will kick-start their league campaign with an away game against Elche on Sunday night.
Having started the season with a draw, Elche will be looking to cause an upset when they host giants Barcelona in their second match of the new season. Meanwhile, the visitors will look to get off a perfect start with all three points.
Elche, who avoided the drop by the smallest of margins last time out, started the new season with a 1-1 draw against Real Club Deportivo de A Coruna. While they dominated the ball and created more chances, Elche failed to get the desired result.
It was a disappointing result for them, and they will be hoping for a much improved performance as they look to stun the defending champions in their first game of the new season. However, it won’t be easy for the home team to go up against Hansi Flick’s team.
The visitors are gearing up for their first game of the new season. While they have parted ways with a few of their familiar faces, they have added more quality to the mix and should have enough to once again push for the league title.
Despite not having a senior striker in their ranks, Barcelona have shown a lot of promise in the pre-season, and they will be clear favourites to win this fixture and get their season underway.
The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
The home team will remain without the services of Adam Boayar (muscle), Yago Santiago (knee) and Grady Diangana (knee) because of injury. Apart from the trio, everyone else should be available for selection in this outing.
Elche will go ahead with the 3-5-2 formation, where Matias Dituro will take charge in goal. In the heart of the defence, David Affengruber should partner with Federico Redondo and Víctor Chust. The trio will look to keep things tight at the back and not allow Barcelona forwards too much space to work it.
They will receive significant support from the wing-backs, Buba Sangare and German Valera. The two will look to keep the Barcelona wingers in check and push forward at every possible opportunity.
In the centre of the park, Gonzalo Villar, Marc Aguado and Martim Neto will look to ensure the Catalan giants’ midfielders do not enjoy too much easy possession. They also look to bring their attackers into the game with quick breakaways.
Ali Houary and Fer Nino will be the two forwards for the home team.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Dituro; Affengruber, Redondo, Chust; Sangare, Villar, Aguado, Neto, Valera; Houary, Nino
The Catalan giants will be without three first-team stars. Roony Bardghji has been sidelined for a long time with a ligament injury. Frenkie de Jong has also been sidelined with a meniscus injury, while Rodri is yet to regain full fitness since his back surgery after the World Cup.
Hansi Flick might not have a senior striker at his disposal, but he is unlikely to move away from his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation. Joan Garcia will start between the sticks, while Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde will be the full-backs.
In the heart of the defence, Gerard Martin will partner with Eric Garcia, with Pau Cubarsi unlikely to be rushed back into action.
With Rodri and De Jong unavailable, Marc Bernal could form the double pivot with Pedri. The duo will shield the backline and look to control the tempo.
Fermin Lopez is likely to start as the number ten, while Raphinha and Lamine Yamal will feature on the flanks. Following an impressive pre-season, teenage attacking sensation Hamza Abdelkarim could start in his first official game for Barcelona as the number nine.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): J Garcia; Kounde, E Garcia, Martin, Balde; Bernal, Pedri; Yamal, Fermin Lopez, Raphinha; Hamza Abdelkarim
Barcelona’s teenage attacking sensation enjoyed another stellar campaign last time out, as he finished with 24 goals and 18 assists in his 45 outings across all competitions. He played a massive part in all the success they enjoyed last season and will be looking to kick-start the new season in similar fashion.
The 19-year-old will certainly be the biggest threat for Elche with his pace, dribbling and ability to create chances for others around him. While he is not known for his goalscoring, he is still right up there with the best, and it won’t be a surprise if he finds the back of the net on Sunday.Barcelona should have too much quality for Elche, even without a recognised senior striker available. Flick’s side have looked sharp during pre-season, and the movement of Yamal, Raphinha and Fermin Lopez should create plenty of problems for an Elche defence that is likely to sit deep and protect the central areas.
Elche will look to frustrate Barcelona and make the most of their opportunities on the counter, but keeping the defending champions quiet for 90 minutes will be a major challenge. The Catalan giants should dominate possession, create enough chances and eventually break through, with their superior quality likely to see them secure a comfortable victory. The Hard Tackle predicts a dominant 3-0 win for the away team.
