Elche vs Barcelona
Two teams with entirely different ambitions this season are set to go head-to-head for the second time when Elche host Barcelona at Manuel Martinez Valero this Saturday.
Elche will look to maintain their Spanish top-flight status, but they must improve their recent form since they’ve lost two of their last three games.
Los Franjiverdes are currently at 13th with 29 points and they can go to as high as the Top 10 should they pull off the upset against their resurgent visitors.
Barcelona, meanwhile, are keen to strengthen their chances at returning to the Champions League next year after falling down to the Europa League earlier this season.
Because of their unbeaten streak, the Blaugrana are in great shape since they are at fourth with 45 points. However, there’s more work to be done for Xavi and co. since Atletico Madrid, Real Sociedad, and Villarreal are right behind their tail.
The pre-match SBOTOP betting odds have Barcelona as the huge favourites, although that should serve as motivation for Elche to prove that’s not the case.
Talking Points
Can Elche go for more beyond survival?
Elche have been generally been fine in the 2021/22 season. They are likely to stay in La Liga beyond this term and they can virtually compete for an European spot if only they can string a couple more wins.
Los Franjiverdes are fresh from a demoralising 3-0 loss against relegation-threatened Levante, which highlights the fact that they still have long way to go. Not only did they lose the said game, they’ve also lost some key players ahead of this fixture.
Their defencive depth is about to take a hit as central midfielders Gerard Gumbau and John Donald, and right-back Helibelton Palacios are all unavailable on Saturday. Gumbau was given a red card against Levante, while Donald and Palacios aren’t 100-per cent fit just yet.
With the three of them out, Francisco may need to adopt an attack-heavy approach for this game, hoping to replicate their performance against Barcelona few months ago.
Pere Milla is their best attacker with seven goals and he’ll play a huge role for Elche. He can’t do it all alone, though, so he’ll need additional help from the likes of Lucas Boye, Guido Carillo, and Tete Morente.
Barcelona are a force to be reckoned with
Camp Nou is bouncing again and they have their solid January transfer window to thank for their upturn in form. Barcelona recently annihilated Athletic Bilbao 4-0 in a game which featured four different scorers.
One of them is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and he’s enjoying his new lease of life. Since leaving Arsenal, the Gabonese has scored four goals in four league games and he’s nominated for La Liga’s Player of the Month award.
Fellow newcomers Ferran Torres and Adama Traore have also settled in nicely under Xavi’s system, while Memphis Depay, Frenkie de Jong, and Ousmane Dembele all look more motivated than ever before.
Fans are hoping that they can sustain their undefeated run. With Xavi at the wheel, the future is bright for the Blaugrana.
History
The main reason why the Blaugrana are the big favourites is because they’ve yet to be beaten by Los Franjiverdes in La Liga. Prior to this match, Elche have failed to win in any of their last 18 league meetings (L14, D4), and they haven’t scored in 10 of their last 11 meetings.
Barcelona hold a five-game win streak in La Liga over Elche, which is their longest run of consecutive victories against them in this competition. They’ve also secured a clean sheet in their last five visits at Elche.
Their reverse fixture took place last December where Barcelona eked out a 3-2 win. Ferran Jutgia and Gavi gave Barcelona the two-goal lead early on, but Elche replied with goals from Tete Morente and Pere Milla.
When the match felt like it was going to be a draw, Nico Gonzalez saved the day for Barcelona with his marginal goal at the 85th-minute.
Betting Tip
Given their strong recent form, there’s no doubt that Barcelona are expected to win on Saturday. The La Liga 2022 odds have the Blaugrana installed at 1.41, while Elche are priced at 7.00 to win, and chances for a draw are at 4.50 in the 1X2 market.
Despite the unfavourable readings, Elche should give Barcelona a huge run for their money and we should also see a healthy amount of goals and La Liga 2022 highlights, so going for Total Goal 2-3 @ 2.00 might also give you a decent payout.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT))
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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