FC Barcelona, sitting behind Real Madrid and Girona, must win against Las Palmas to keep up in the title race. The club has been criticized in recent weeks and needs to respond to its critics and reassure itself ahead of a dangerous second half of the season.
Here are the predicted lineups for the two teams:
Las Palmas: Valles – Suarez, Coco, Marmol, Cardona – Muñoz, Perrone, Rodriguez – Park, Munir, Sandro
Barcelona: Peña – Cancelo, Araujo, Koundé, Baldé – Roberto, de Jong, Gündogan – Raphinha, Torres, Lewandowski
Las Palmas
Las Palmas is currently in 10th place in La Liga, but they have been playing well in recent weeks.
The home team is expected to start with a 4-3-3 formation. Valles will start in goal, with Suarez, Coco, Marmol, and Cardona in defense. Muñoz, Perrone, and Rodriguez will start in midfield. Park, Munir, and Sandro will start in attack.
Barcelona
Barcelona is currently in fourth place in La Liga, but they are only ten points behind Real Madrid. The club has been inconsistent in recent weeks, but they need to win against Las Palmas to keep up in the title race.
The away team is expected to start with a 4-3-3 formation. Peña will start in goal, with Cancelo, Araujo, Koundé, and Baldé in defense. Roberto, de Jong, and Gündogan will start in midfield. Raphinha, Torres, and Lewandowski will start in attack.
Key battles
Valles vs. Lewandowski: Valles will have a tough task keeping Lewandowski quiet. The Polish striker is one of the best strikers in the world and he has scored 18 goals in 21 La Liga appearances this season.
Muñoz vs. de Jong: Muñoz will need to be at his best to stop de Jong. The Dutch midfielder is a key player for Barcelona and he is capable of creating chances and scoring goals.
Park vs. Baldé: Park will need to be careful not to get caught out by Baldé. The Senegalese winger is quick and skillful and he is capable of creating chances for Barcelona.
Prediction
Barcelona is the favorite to win this match. The away team has a better squad and they are more experienced in big games. However, Las Palmas is a dangerous team and they could cause an upset.
Final score prediction: Barcelona 2-1 Las Palmas
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