La Liga leaders Barcelona will look to return to winning ways when they host Deportivo Alaves at Camp Nou on Saturday night.

Having suffered their first defeat of the league campaign, Barcelona will be eager to get things back on track and retain their two-point lead at the top when they welcome a struggling Deportivo Alaves side.

The home team are top of the table with 27 points in their 10 outings. They had won their first nine league games and were chasing history heading into the Clasico against Real Madrid. While they were favourites to win in front of their own fans, Los Blancos stunned them and kept the title race very much alive.

Having lost to PSG and Real Madrid in a matter of days, Hansi Flick will hope his team can not just win but put up a statement performance against Alaves. The visitors might end up feeling the full force of the defending champions.

The visitors were off to a flying start as they had won three out of their first four league games. However, things haven’t gone their way since then, as they have failed to win any of their last six league outings. They are currently 7th on the table with 12 points in their 10 outings.

After consecutive defeats at the hands of Atletico Madrid and Celta Vigo, they could only manage a draw against Malaga last time out. Alaves will have to punch above their weight if they are to get something out of this fixture. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.

Team News & Tactics

Barcelona

The Catalan giants suffered another injury blow last time out as Xavi Espart picked up an ankle injury that will keep him out for around seven weeks. He joins Dani Olmo (adductor), Roony Bardghji (knee), and Eric Garcia (thigh) on the sidelines.

Meanwhile, Jules Kounde (ankle) and Andreas Christensen (thigh) are major doubts for this fixture.

Barcelona are likely to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Joan Garcia starting in goal. Joao Cancelo and Alejandro Balde will feature as the full-backs, while Pau Cubarsi is expected to partner Gerard Martin in central defence.

With a host of defenders out injured, Balde is all set to get his first start and a chance to revive his Barcelona career. Rodri and Pedri are likely to form the midfield double pivot, providing defensive cover while helping Barcelona dictate the tempo.

Lamine Yamal and Anthony Gordon should operate on the flanks, with Fermin Lopez taking up the attacking midfield role behind Raphinha, who is expected to lead the line.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): J Garcia; Cancelo, Cubarsi, Martin, Balde; Rodri, Pedri; Yamal, Fermin, Gordon; Raphinha

Deportivo Alaves

The visitors will be without the services of Facundo Garces (knee) and Mikel Rodriguez (knee) because of injury. Apart from the duo, everyone else should be available for selection.

Alaves are likely to line up in a 5-3-2 formation, with Antonio Sivera starting in goal. Angel Perez and Abde Rebbach should occupy the wing-back positions, while Nahuel Tenaglia, Ville Koski and Nicolas Valentini are expected to form the back three.

Perez and Rebbach will look for opportunities to join the attack and provide width in the final third. Carles Alena, Antonio Blanco and Pablo Ibanez are likely to feature in central midfield, with the trio tasked with providing defensive cover and helping Alaves control possession.

Former Real Madrid striker Mariano Diaz and Lucas Boye should lead the line as the visitors look to threaten Barcelona on the counter-attack.

Probable Lineup (5-3-2): Sivera; Perez, Tenaglia, Koski, Valentini, Rebbach; Alena, Blanco, Ibanez; Diaz, Boye

Key Stats

• Barcelona’s last ten games have produced over 2.5 goals.
• Alaves secured a 1-0 win when the two teams last met back in May. It was their first ever win over Barcelona since 2016.
• The Catalan giants have bagged 51 goals in their 13 outings this term.
• Alaves are winless in their last nine trips to Camp Nou. They have conceded 24 goals in those nine games.
• After a run of 11 straight wins across competitions, Barcelona have lost each of their last two games.

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Alejandro Balde

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The 23-year-old full-back has fallen way down the pecking order under Hansi Flick, and he was heavily linked with a move away during the summer. But Balde decided to stay and fight for his place in the team. However, things haven’t quite worked out as he has been involved in just three games, racking up only 88 minutes of first-team action.

While he is not a part of Flick’s plans, the German tactician will be forced to hand him a start against Alaves with quite a few of his key defenders injured. Balde will see this as a great opportunity to impress the boss and revive his Barcelona career.

Prediction

Barcelona 5-1 Deportivo Alaves

Barcelona will be desperate to bounce back from consecutive defeats against PSG and Real Madrid, and this fixture offers them an excellent opportunity to do so. The Catalan giants have been prolific in front of goal this season, and they will be confident of causing plenty of problems for an Alaves defence that has struggled for consistency in recent weeks.

Alaves have failed to win any of their last six league games and could struggle to cope with Barcelona’s intensity at Camp Nou. The visitors might look to frustrate the hosts with a compact defensive setup and threaten on the counter-attack, but keeping Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Fermin Lopez quiet will be a difficult task. Barcelona are expected to return to winning ways in convincing fashion. The Hard Tackle predicts a 5-1 win for the Catalan giants.