Barcelona have little time to recover after losing to Manchester United at Old Trafford to terminate their European campaign, so they travel to lovely Andalusia for a Sunday evening match against relegation hopefuls Almería at the Power Horse Stadium. After another poor night in Europe, Xavi Hernández’s ability to lead Barça to European victory is in doubt, although he dominates La Liga. Read out complete details about Almería vs Barcelona down below.
Almería vs Barcelona | Team News
Barça can become title favorites on Sunday after Atlético Madrid held Real Madrid to a 1-1 draw at the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday. The Blaugrana will take a 10-point lead with 15 matches to play if they beat Almería. Barça will play Real Madrid in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final on Thursday, and it would bolster them confidence to be up double digits before they play again in three weeks.
Almería, despite their record and three-game losing skid, are tough to beat at home, as Atlético and Real know. Almería’s high-intensity defensive style, muscular play, and dangerous counter-attacking weaponry and set piece routines draw the audience in. Barça’s fitness is also key since they had to travel twice in the 72 hours between the United encounter and this one.
Xavi must rest key players and start reserves. Gavi’s comeback is great, but Pedri, Ousmane Dembélé, and Ansu Fati all sidelined with knee injuries. Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, and Ferran Torres must start because there is no frontline depth.
There will be no substitutes if they can’t perform. Barça will have to fight through tired legs and play their best against a difficult team, but knowing that Madrid dropped two points will motivate them to stay perfect in La Liga in 2023 and take a significant step toward the crown they prioritized before the season started. Xavi and players promised to learn from the United loss and rebound swiftly.
