Barcelona will be looking to get back on track in La Liga when they host Elche at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on Sunday evening. The Catalan side sit second in the table, five points behind leaders Real Madrid, while newly promoted Elche have surprised many by climbing to eighth after an impressive start to the season.
Hansi Flick’s team have hit a rough patch in recent weeks, losing two of their last three league games. Their latest setback came in El Clasico, where they fell 2-1 to Real Madrid, a result that widened the gap between the two rivals. The pressure is now on Barcelona to respond with a victory, as they could find themselves eight points adrift of the top by the time they kick off on Sunday.
Barcelona’s overall record this season stands at seven wins, one draw, and two defeats from ten league matches. They remain the division’s most potent attacking force with 25 goals, and their Champions League campaign has also started reasonably well with two wins from three matches—victories over Newcastle United and Olympiacos offset by a defeat to reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain.
The Catalans will travel to Belgium next week to face Club Brugge, and Flick will be expecting his team to head into that fixture with two straight league victories before the international break.
History strongly favors Barcelona in this matchup. The defending champions have faced Elche 55 times, winning 34 of those encounters and losing just nine. They have never been beaten by Elche at home and currently boast a ten-match winning streak against them, which includes dominant 3-0 and 4-0 victories during the 2022–23 season.
Elche, for their part, have exceeded expectations since returning to the top flight. With 14 points from their opening ten matches, they sit comfortably in mid-table, having recorded three wins, five draws, and only two losses. Eder Sarabia’s men will arrive in Barcelona on the back of a 4-0 Copa del Rey win over UD Los Garres, though they suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Espanyol in their last league outing.
While Elche have been solid at home, their away form remains a concern. They have yet to win on the road this season, drawing three and losing two of their five matches away from the Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero. The odds will be firmly stacked against them on Sunday, but a win at the Estadi Olímpic would mark a historic milestone—their first-ever away victory over Barcelona.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
Barcelona received a major boost this week as Robert Lewandowski and Dani Olmo both returned to full training after recovering from their respective injuries. The pair are expected to be included in the squad for Sunday’s clash.
Goalkeeper Joan Garcia is also close to making his comeback from a knee injury, but the club intends to take a cautious approach with the summer signing to avoid any setbacks.
However, Hansi Flick will still be without several key players. Gavi, Marc-André ter Stegen, Andreas Christensen, Raphinha, and Pedri remain sidelined, with youngster Marc Casado likely to step in to fill the gap in midfield. There are also some fitness concerns surrounding Lamine Yamal, who continues to manage a persistent groin issue, though the 17-year-old is expected to start in what is a must-win fixture for the defending champions.
Elche, on the other hand, head into the match with no reported injury worries, meaning Eder Sarabia could have a full squad to choose from. The coach is expected to make several changes from the team that featured in the Copa del Rey, but in-form striker Andre Silva—who leads the team’s scoring charts with four goals across all competitions—should retain his place up front.
Defender Hector Fort, currently on loan at Elche from Barcelona, is eligible to face his parent club but is likely to begin the match on the bench.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Barcelona possible starting lineup:
Szczesny; Kounde, Cubarsi, E Garcia, Balde; Casado, De Jong; Yamal, F Lopez, Rashford; Torres
Elche possible starting lineup:
Pena; Chust, Affengruber, Bigas; Nunez, Mendoza, Febas, Aguado, Valera; Silva, Mir
EXPERT PREDICTION
Barcelona 3-1 Elche
