Barcelona will be looking to move to the top of the La Liga table when they continue their domestic campaign at home to Alaves on Saturday afternoon.
Hansi Flick's side are currently second in the division, one point behind the leaders Real Madrid, while Alaves sit down in 14th spot, boasting 15 points from their first 13 matches of the season.
Match preview
The celebrations were in full flow last weekend when Barcelona marked their return to Camp Nou with a 4-0 success over Athletic Bilbao in La Liga, but the Catalan giants were brought crashing back down to earth against Chelsea on Tuesday night.
Indeed, the Blues ran out 3-0 winners over Barcelona in the Champions League, and the defeat was a real setback for Flick's team, who never got going at Stamford Bridge.
Barcelona are down in 18th spot in the overall table, picking up just seven points from five matches, but they have won their last three in the league, overcoming Elche, Celta Vigo and Athletic since the 2-1 reverse to Real Madrid on October 26.
The Catalan giants now have three straight league games against Alaves, Atletico Madrid and Real Betis before their final Champions League fixture of the year at home to Eintracht Frankfurt, which has become a must-win game for the club.
Barcelona have won 35 of their previous 49 matches against Alaves, showing their dominance in this fixture, including a 1-0 victory in the corresponding game last term.
© Imago / ZUMA Press Wire
Alaves have actually lost each of their last five La Liga matches against Barcelona, last avoiding defeat in this fixture in October 2021.
The Basque side have not managed to beat Barcelona since September 2016, though, shocking the Catalan giants with a 2-1 success at Camp Nou on that occasion.
Alaves have a record of four wins, three draws and six defeats from their 13 La Liga matches this season, with 15 points leaving them in 14th spot in the table, four points ahead of 18th-placed Girona.
The Blue and Whites finished 15th in La Liga last season, so there is clear room for improvement this term, and the team have now been present in the top flight in nine of their last 10 campaigns.
Eduardo Coudet's side will be the fresher of the two teams entering this match, and they will be hoping to take advantage of a potential Champions League hangover for Barcelona.
Barcelona La Liga form:
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Alaves La Liga form:
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Team News
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Barcelona will once again be missing Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Gavi due to injury problems, but there is a strong chance that the Catalan outfit will be boosted by the return of Pedri.
The Spaniard has not featured since the end of October due to a hamstring problem, but the midfielder is expected to be cleared to return to the field on Saturday.
There is set to be a change in the final third of the field, with Marcus Rashford likely to come in for Robert Lewandowski, while Eric Garcia should drop into the middle of the defence to replace Ronald Araujo, who was sent off on a disappointing night against Chelsea.
As for Alaves, Facundo Garces is serving a lengthy suspension, while Nikola Maras is a long-term absentee due to a serious knee injury.
Calebe will also need to be assessed after missing out against Celta last time out due to a knock, with a decision on the 25-year-old potentially being made on Friday.
Carlos Vicente has been Alaves' most productive player in the final third of the field this season, scoring five times and registering two assists in 14 appearances, and there will be another spot in an attacking area for the 26-year-old.
Barcelona possible starting lineup:
J Garcia; Kounde, E Garcia, Cubarsi, Balde; De Jong, Pedri; Yamal, Fermin, Rashford; Torres
Alaves possible starting lineup:
Sivera; Otto, Tenaglia, Pacheco, Yusi; Vicente, Blanco, Suarez, Alena; Martinez, Boye
We say: Barcelona 3-1 Alaves
Alaves are capable of making this a tricky match for Barcelona, and we are expecting the visitors to score on Saturday afternoon. However, Barcelona's quality in the final third of the field should allow them to secure a huge three points this weekend.
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