Welcome back to TalkBarca. Our topic for today is the Match Preview for FC Barcelona vs Elche. FC Barcelona is going to resume their La Liga campaign this time against Elche. Ronald Koemann’s men are not enjoying their current form. However, they are going to look to pull off a win in this encounter in order to get back to the title race.
FC BARCELONA VS ELCHE MATCH PREVIEW
Both teams are out of forms heading into this mid-week La Liga fixture. The last time FC Barcelona faced Elche, they emerged victoriously. However, FC Barcelona played without Lionel Messi. They were still in considerable form as compared to their current situation. The team was badly humiliated by PSG in the Round of 16 fixture in the Champions League. Cadiz added fuel to fire after drawing against the home side a few minutes before the full time. However, Elche is no exception. The team is currently at 18th place in the points table and they are struggling with form too.
Elche is struggling to win games as well as failing to put decent performances. This puts FC Barcelona in the driving seat. However, we also know that anything can happen with FC Barcelona around. We have seen unexpected performances from teams against the Blaugranas. Therefore, it is better not to jump to any conclusions.
Elche is going to go hard on the home side. Ronald Koemann also said that they are not going to take Elche lightly as they have the potential to turn the game anytime. Therefore, the team is in the right mental zone. Now Koemann also needs to come up with the correct tactical planning, player choices, and even substitutions in order to grab a convincing win in this encounter. Elche has a few players on its side who have the ability to turn the game anytime. Therefore, FC Barcelona has to be very cautious in this encounter. They cannot afford a slip-up.
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM FC BARCELONA?
Let’s just state a fact here. FC Barcelona is facing a major dip in their form. The game against Cadiz was a perfect opportunity to make a very strong place for them in the title race. However, FC Barcelona could not manage to pull off a win in that encounter. They are now well behind Atletico Madrid as well as Real Madrid.
FC Barcelona is going to approach this game with a similar possession-based dominance game mentality. However, Koemann must also be very careful in his starting lineup choices (Read our expected lineup here). The fans are not very happy with Clement Lenglet and do not want him to start this game. However, it is also a fact that FC Barcelona is dealing with multiple injury issues. Therefore, they do not have a lot of options to experiment with.
The team is facing multiple crises at the moment be it injury issues, form issues, financial issues, and the list goes on. Therefore, getting back from such places always takes time. A good thing is that front-line players namely Antoine Griezmann and Lionel Messi are in much better form as compared to the start of the season.
We can definitely see that the players are putting in work. However, they also need to show character and the hunger to go for victory in every game. That is perhaps the most lacking thing in this FC Barcelona unit. We can no longer see that Blaugrana passion in the players anymore.
This game against Elche is going to be the perfect opportunity for the players to express themselves and finally get back on winning ways. Fingers crossed, let’s see what happens.
You can now follow us on our social media;
Facebook: TalkBarca
Instagram: @talkbarcaofficial
Twitter: @TalkBarcaBlog
