Elche
- Elche have drawn three consecutive games, the last two of which were 2-2 at home.
- Elche are on a three-game drawing streak but the Franjiverdes have shown plenty of tenacity in that period, lacking only the cutting edge required to turn one or more of their draws into wins.
- This fixture will be a classic case of attacking, open football against a compact, possession-based structure with Elche looking to disrupt and counterattack.
- Barça's press and overloads will be looking to smother Elche and attack quickly in transition when they can, but the hosts are disciplined enough to ensure they do not get swamped.
Barcelona
- Barcelona have lost three of their last four away games in all competitions (Won 1).
- Hans-Dieter Flick's side are clearly the better team and have the greater talent, but Barça's recent form has been patchy with two wins and three defeats in their last five.
- Their 5-2 away win over FC Basel showed their ceiling and that Hamza Abdelkarim, who has scored three of Barça's eight goals in that run, is their sharpest edge at the moment.
- They have averaged 2.00 goals per game away from home.
Key Players
Hamza Abdelkarim , who has scored three of Barça's eight goals in that run, is their sharpest edge at the moment.
Betting Insights
- The market has Barça at 1.29, Elche at 9.6 and the draw at 5.3.
- We will take Both Teams to Score - Yes at 1.77 as the better option.
Prediction
Barça should have enough to come away with the win, but Elche are an extremely hard side to crack at the Estadio Martinez Valero.
