Barcelona will head to relegation-threatened Leganes on Saturday evening knowing that a victory would see them move seven points clear of second-placed Real Madrid at the top of the La Liga table.
The Catalan giants are chasing a treble this season, while Leganes are battling to keep their spot in Spain's top flight, with Borja Jimenez's side currently sitting 18th in the division, two points behind 17th-placed Alaves.
Match preview
Leganes boast a record of six wins, 10 draws and 14 defeats from their 30 league matches this season, with a total of 28 points leaving them in 18th spot in the table, two points behind 17th-placed Alaves.
Jimenez's side will enter this match off the back of a 1-1 draw with Osasuna, with that result ending a three-game losing run, while their last success in the league was a 1-0 triumph over Getafe at the start of March.
El Lega famously beat Barcelona 1-0 in the reverse match in the middle of December, so they will be bidding to make it an incredible La Liga double over Hansi Flick's team when the two sides collide on Saturday night.
Leganes have picked up 18 points from their 15 home league matches during the 2024-25 campaign, which is a respectable total, but they will be welcoming a Barcelona team with the best away record in the division this term.
The Madrid outfit are the reigning Segunda Division champions, so avoiding relegation was always going to be their primarily goal for this season, and a positive result on Saturday night would give their survival hopes a real boost.
Barcelona, meanwhile, will enter this match off the back of a stunning 4-0 win over Borussia Dortmund, with Robert Lewandowski scoring twice, while Raphinha and Lamine Yamal also registered in the impressive success.
Flick's side are on for a treble this season, as they will also tackle Real Madrid in the final of the Copa del Rey, while they are in charge of the La Liga title race, sitting four points clear of second-placed Los Blancos at the summit.
Barcelona were held to a 1-1 draw by Real Betis in La Liga last weekend, which ended a nine-game winning run in Spain's top flight, but they have triumphed in each of their last three league fixtures on their travels, scoring 10 times in the process.
The Catalan team have scored an incredible 83 goals in their 30 league matches this season, which is 20 more than Real Madrid, and they will have the chance to move seven points clear in this game, as Carlo Ancelotti's side are not in action until Sunday against Alaves.
Barcelona, as mentioned, famously lost to Leganes in the reverse match earlier this season, but they have won eight of the previous 10 meetings between the two sides in all competitions, including a 2-1 success on their last trip to Estadio Municipal de Butarque in November 2019.
Team News
Leganes will once again be without the services of Enric Franquesa due to a long-term knee injury, but Oscar Rodriguez will return to the squad, having served the suspension that ruled him out of the clash with Osasuna.
Head coach Jimenez will have been pleased with the team's performance against Osasuna, so it would not be a surprise to see the same XI for this match, including a spot in the final third of the field for Diego Garcia.
Dani Raba has four goals in his last three league appearances during an excellent run of form, and the Spaniard is again set to operate through the middle for the reigning Segunda Division champions.
As for Barcelona, head coach Flick is keeping star striker Lewandowski fresh at this stage of the campaign, and it is certainly possible that the 36-year-old will drop down to the bench on Saturday, allowing Ferran Torres to feature through the middle.
There could also be a further two changes from the side that started against Dortmund, with Ronald Araujo and Gavi pushing to be introduced, which may lead to Inigo Martinez and Fermin Lopez dropping to the bench.
Yamal is fit despite concerns over a potential injury issue against Dortmund, but Dani Olmo, Marc Casado, Marc Bernal and Marc-Andre ter Stegen will once again be unavailable for selection on Saturday night.
Leganes possible starting lineup:
Dmitrovic; Gonzalez, Nastasic, Tapia; Rosier, Cisse, Neyou, J Hernandez; Cruz, Raba, D Garcia
Barcelona possible starting lineup:
Szczesny; Kounde, Cubarsi, Araujo, Balde; De Jong, Pedri; Yamal, Gavi, Raphinha; Torres
We say: Leganes 1-3 Barcelona
Leganes have already beaten Barcelona this season and are certainly capable of making this a tricky assignment for the Catalan side; the division leaders are so difficult to back against at the moment, though, and we are expecting them to secure all three points without too much fuss.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
body check tags ::
Previews by email
