Ace Football previews the La Liga match between FC Barcelona and SD Eibar, and offers the latest stats, tips, and team news.
FC Barcelona hope to end 2020 on a winning note for their final match of the calendar year against SD Eibar at Camp Nou.
Nine points and 12 places separate the two clubs in the La Liga standings. Barcelona are unsurprisingly ahead in fifth place, having amassed 24 points from a possible 42 this season. Eibar, on the other hand, are a point above the relegation zone in 17th.
The visitors also lost both their league encounters with Barcelona last season, including a 5-0 thumping back in February, and are winless in their 12 games overall (D1 L11).
So, unless 2020 plans to spring one last great surprise on us, a home win is widely expected at Camp Nou – even if Lionel Messi won’t be around.
FC Barcelona Form & Stats
Ronald Koeman has experienced a mixed start to his dream job, having won just half of his 14 league games (D3 L4) and trailing table-toppers Atletico Madrid by eight points already in fifth-place.
Since the Champions League break, however, Barcelona have begun a minor resurgence. The Catalan giants have won three of their last four games (D1) to move from ninth up to fifth in the La Liga table. And with a game in hand over the top-four teams, expect for Atletico, they can quickly recover lost ground.
Despite defeats to Juventus and Real Madrid, Barcelona have also been strong at home this season. They’ve won seven of their 11 games at Camp Nou in all competitions, with four of them by a three-goal margin or better, and have a league-best of 28 goals.
Lionel Messi, who scored four goals against Eibar last time out, may be unavailable, but the Blaugrana have the quality at their disposal to win on Tuesday.
Key Team Stats
- Won 3 of their last 4 league games (D1).
- A league-best 28 goals this season.
- Won 7 of their 11 home games in all competitions (D2 L2).
- Won 11 of their 12 games against Eibar (D1), including all 6 at Camp Nou.
- Unbeaten in their last 16 games against Basque clubs (W15 D1).
- Antoine Griezmann has managed 1 goal & 2 assists in his last 3 league games against Eibar.
SD Eibar Form & Stats
Back-to-back defeats to Real Madrid and Deportivo Alaves have left Eibar in trouble. The club sit just a point above the relegation zone in 17th-place in the standings, having won just three of their 15 league games so far (D6 L6).
Jose Luis Mendilibar’s side will, therefore, be in no mood to make life easy for Barcelona as they bid to retain their La Liga status for an eighth consecutive campaign next term.
But Eibar have the sixth-best away record in La Liga this season, having lost just two of their seven trips on the road (W3 D2). They’ve even outscored Barcelona in this aspect with 11 points compared to the Blaugrana’s seven.
Despite having not won a game since late November (D2 L2), the Gunsmiths’ away form should give them confidence for the Camp Nou trip. The visitors also have one of the league’s best defensive and worst offensive records, suggesting they’ll adopt a conservative approach.
Key Team Stats
- Lost their last 2 league games.
- Winless in their last 4 league games (D2 L2).
- Lost just 2 of their 7 away league games (W3 D2).
- Eighth-best defensive league record with 15 goals conceded.
- Scored just 11 goals in the league this season.
- Suffered their two biggest defeats in La Liga history to Barcelona – 6-1 (September 2017) & 5-0 (February 2020).
Team News
FC Barcelona
Out: Lionel Messi, Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba, Ansu Fati, Sergi Roberto.
Doubts: Ousmane Dembele.
SD Eibar
Out: Cote.
Doubts: Rober Correa, Paulo Oliveira, Sergi Enrich, Yoshinori Muto.
Predicted Line-up
(Note: The image will change to the official XI once they’re both announced)
Top Goalscorers in La Liga
Head-To-Head Record
Below are some head-to-head stats on each team’s recent form in La Liga.
Match Facts
Betting Tips
More Odds
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