La Liga: Barcelona vs Almeria Live
Preview
After not securing a win in their last three competitive games, Barcelona is eager to finish 2023 with a victory as they face struggling Almeria on Wednesday. Almeria, currently at the bottom of the La Liga table, are hoping to cause an upset and secure their first league win of the season as they travel to Monjuic.
Barcelona is entering the upcoming match on a winless streak of three games, having suffered defeats to Girona and Royal Antwerp in La Liga and the Champions League, and a draw against Valencia. Despite initially looking set to secure a victory, they were forced to settle for a draw after conceding a late equalizer. Their lack of consistency has hindered their chances of defending their title, as they have won three, drawn two, and lost two of their last seven league games.
With the team currently in third place and seven points behind the league leaders, Xavi is under pressure to turn their fortunes around, starting with the upcoming game against Almeria. Xavi will be hoping for a shutout on Wednesday, as his team has conceded in five of their last six home games in all competitions.
Almeria are aware that they face a tough challenge against the champions after a difficult first half of the season. They have not won any of their 17 league matches so far. Gaizka Garitano took over from Vicente Moreno in October and managed to secure only their fifth point of the campaign in a goalless draw with Mallorca.
This was their second consecutive 0-0 home draw after previously earning a point against Real Betis. Despite their recent home clean sheets, Almeria has the worst defensive record in La Liga and needs to start winning matches to close the eight-point gap to safety. Their away form has been poor, with seven consecutive losses in away league matches since their 1-1 draw with Cadiz in August.
Head-to-head
Barcelona has a strong record against Almeria at home, having won all seven of their previous top-flight matches and keeping five clean sheets. However, Almeria won their recent matchup 1-0 over Barcelona in February at the Power Horse Stadium.
Prediction
Barcelona is currently struggling, but their upcoming match against Almeria, who has yet to win a game, could provide the perfect opportunity for Barcelona to regain their confidence. Barcelona has a strong track record against Almeria, winning all seven of their previous La Liga matches, so we expect them to demonstrate their superiority and secure a comfortable win to end the year.
