La Liga: Barcelona vs Las Palmas Live
Preview: Barcelona vs Las Palmas
Barcelona vs Las Palmas on Saturday at 8:00pm at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, will give Barca the chance to close the gap to La Liga frontrunners Real Madrid to five points. The Catalan team is currently in second place in the La Liga standings, trailing the leaders by eight points, while the away side is in 11th position with 37 points from 29 matches in a strong season.
Barcelona secured a clinical 3-0 victory over Atlético Madrid, maintaining their position within eight points of La Liga leaders Real Madrid before the international break. This win marked their third consecutive victory, extending their unbeaten streak to ten matches. The team is also gearing up for a crucial period, including a match against PSG in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals. While their focus is on European success, manager Xavi is not discounting their chances in the league as they face Las Palmas next. Additionally, the team’s defense has significantly improved, keeping four consecutive clean sheets in La Liga, a stark contrast to their previous struggles where they conceded 12 goals in six league games.
Las Palmas, who are in the middle of the table, have experienced a decline in their performance, failing to secure any victories in their last five matches, with two draws and three losses, marking their worst winless streak of the season. While Las Palmas’ recent away form, with two draws and one loss in their last three games, suggests they may put up a good fight, their defense is likely to face significant challenges, having conceded eight goals in their last two away matches. Nonetheless, these defensive weaknesses appear to be an anomaly, as the away side has only conceded two or more goals in an away league game once in their last 12 such outings.
Head-to-head
Barca has been dominant in head-to-head matches against Las Palmas, with no top-flight losses since February 1986. Las Palmas has struggled in their visits to Barcelona, not winning a top-flight game there since September 1971, with two draws and 17 losses since then.
Prediction
Las Palmas should be commended for their impressive return to this level, but Barcelona are currently in good form. It is anticipated that Xavi’s team will secure their 20th La Liga win of the season, bringing them within five points of league leaders Real Madrid.
