Barcelona vs Las Palmas: La Liga Preview and Predictions

Saturday lunchtime finds Barcelona hosting Las Palmas in Catalonia. The Catalan club hopes to increase its lead in La Liga. Please scroll down to read our match preview and predictions.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

As for the hosts, Spanish giants Barcelona may have been irritated by their late loss to Celta Vigo last Saturday, but they had come roaring back earlier in the week.

The atmosphere in Hansi Flick’s camp is electric as they storm to a straightforward 3-0 victory against Brest, a French club. Even though Barça hired the German strategist in the summer, they have already achieved phenomenal success. 

This weekend’s matches will be kicked off with a four-point lead at the top of the league, and Saturday’s hosts will be just as pumped as everyone else about their home-field advantage.

Starting November with a 3-1 win over local rivals Espanyol, Flick’s title hopefuls had a 30-4 aggregate record in their first eight meetings at the Nou Camp, whatever the competition.

Los Amarillos went to earth last weekend, unlike Las Palmas, who may have entered the international break in November with a much-needed spark. After a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to Mallorca at the Estadio Gran Canaria, Diego Martinez’s squad is now embroiled in a fight for La Liga relegation.

The Yellows are in a severe fight for survival this season; they go to Catalonia this weekend with only a two-point cushion between themselves and the relegation zone.

Similarly, Las Palmas will be worried about their dismal record against Barcelona after losing 1-0 in March’s trip to the Nou Camp. Against the title contenders in La Liga, Martinez’s team has managed only one point in their last eight meetings.

Barcelona x Las Palmas Team News

As they did earlier in the week, Barcelona is again worried about 17-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal’s fitness. Shortly after his September knee surgery, German goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen will miss the rest of the season.

Robert Lewandowski, who won a brace in the Champions League last week and became just the third player in European history to score a century, will start up front. Dani Olmo, who has been impressive since joining RB Leipzig in the summer, will play in the final third with the former Bayern Munich star.

With no new injuries to worry about, Las Palmas will go to the Nou Camp on Saturday feeling fully healthy. Potentially making his first La Liga game since 21 October, former Manchester United youth product Adnan Januzaj has only recovered from an injury.

Catalonia will be led by Wolves loanee Fabio Silva, who scored a consolation goal last weekend against Mallorca and found the back of the net in two consecutive La Liga matches before the international break in November. The bench will be Oli McBurnie’s fate after his time as a striker for Sheffield United.

Our Predictions

Barcelona to score in both halves @ 1.60 on Sky247.ng

Barcelona will be looking to build on their midweek 3-0 thrashing of Brest, which they claimed as an instant reaction and want to replicate here. As the current La Liga leaders wish to further cement their position atop the standings, Saturday’s hosts will desperately seek a winning formula.

Barça is justifiably considered a heavy favourite after earning a terrifying reputation for their dominance in Catalonia and sweeping their first eight meetings at the Nou Camp with aggregate scores of 30-4. Given that these two teams currently occupy opposing positions in La Liga, a typical home win in Catalonia seems unlikely.

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