La Liga 2022-23: Elche vs Barcelona Predicted lineup, injury news, head-to-head, telecast

Barcelona will look to march on and secure a step toward the league title

After a week full of international football, La Liga table toppers Barcelona are set to return to action as they travel to face Elche as the La Liga moves towards the business end of the 2022-23 season. A win for Elche vs Barcelona can help their survival chances.

Three points on the road will be another step towards clinching their 27th La Liga title, Elche will look to win and avoid relegation.

In their last La Liga game, FC Barcelona triumphed over rivals Real Madrid with a 2-1 El Clasico win. On the other hand, Elche CF played out a 1-1 draw against Real Valladolid CF the last time they played in the league.

Kick-Off

Sunday, 2-04-2023, 12:30 AM IST

Sunday, 1-04-2023, 19:00 PM GMT

FC Barcelona form (all competitions): W-W-W-W-L

Elche CF form (all competitions): L-D-W-L-L

Players to Watch

FC Barcelona - Robert Lewandowski

Since the start of the season, multiple players have performed well for Barcelona. However, none of that can compare to the contributions of Robert Lewandowski. Since arriving at the club, the Polish striker has been an instrumental player.

Currently leading the La Liga's highest goal scorer charts with 15 goals, Lewandowski's presence, positioning, and finishing will be key if Barcelona are to win against Elche.

Elche CF - Pedro Bigas

It is no surprise that FC Barcelona currently has one of the best attacks in world football. If Elche is to successfully defend against the likes of Lewandowski and Dembele, the team will need to have Pedro Bigas playing to the best of his ability.

A tall and strong center-back, Bigas has a towering appearance in defense for Elche. His ability to clear the ball and land successful challenges will be vital for Elche CF when they face FC Barcelona.

Injury and Team News for Elche vs Barcelona

FC Barcelona are set to miss Pedro in midfield who is out due to a Muscle Injury. Apart from the Spanish teenager, Ousmane Demble and Frenkie De Jong won't be available for the fixture as well. When it comes to the defense, FC Barcelona is set to miss Andreas Christensen and Ronald Araujo.

Elche CF on the other hand has most of their players available when they face FC Barcelona. However, the two most notable omissions from the squad will be John Donald and Alex Collado who are battling with injuries.

Head-to-head Stats

• Matches Played: 12
• Won by FC Barcelona: 11
• Won by Elche CF: 0
• Draws: 1

Predicted Lineups for Elche vs Barcelona

FC Barcelona: Ter Stegen; H. Bellerin, J. Kounde, E. Garcia, Balde, S. Roberto, S. Busquets, Gavi, P. Torre, Raphinha, R. Lewandowski

Elche CF: Alex Remiro; A. Gorosabel, I. Zubeldia, R. Le Normand, A. Munoz, M. Zubimendi, B. Mendez, D. Silva, A. Illarramendi, T. Kubo, A. Sørloth

Prediction for Elche vs Barcelona

Considering the current team on paper along with their respective form, FC Barcelona seems to be the clear favorite to win against Elche CF. Barcelona's Tiki-Taka mixed with a fierce front three might be too much to handle for Elche CF. However, considering football is a game of upsets, a draw or win for Elche shouldn't come as a surprise.

Predicted Scoreline: FC Barcelona 4 - 0 Elche CF

Telecast

• India – Sports18 TV channel, Voot, and Jio Cinema
• UK – Via Play, LaLiga TV
• USA – Hulu, ESPN+, Disney+
• Nigeria – Canal+ , Super Sport