FC Barcelona will face Alaves in their last game in La Liga before the November international break. Xavi and his men will be looking to put in a strong performance in this match to go into the break with their spirits high after the poor form and results during the last few weeks.
Winning this match is also important for Barcelona because they are already trailing the league leaders, Girona, by four points and the second-placed Real Madrid by two points. Thus, the Catalans need to get a maximum of points from this match in order to remain in competition for the league title and to put full pressure on these two sides.
Alaves themselves are in an even worse run of form, as they have won only one of their last five matches and currently stand 14th on the league table. They have only a five-point difference over Celta Vigo, who are currently in 18th position, and thus Alaves can get into the relegation zone if results do not fall in their favour.
The Catalans should thus expect Alaves to put in a worthy fight in this match. Meanwhile, as Barcelona will also be looking to get a result, this will be a great match for the neutrals.
FC Barcelona have officially announced their squad for this match. The Catalans will have most of their players available to them, but with the strenuous schedule they have had to face in recent months, Xavi can decide to rest players like Gundogan in this match.
Frenkie de Jong and Sergi Roberto are still out with injuries while Gavi is suspended for this match due to the accumulation of five yellow cards. The full squad for Alaves is as follows:
Official Barcelona Squad List
Goalkeepers:
- 1: Marc-Andre ter Stegen
- 2: Inaki Pena Sotorres
- 3: Ander Astralaga
Defenders:
- 1: Ronald Araujo
- 2: Jules Kounde
- 3: Andreas Christensen
- 4: Alejandro Balde
- 5: Joao Cancelo
- 6: Inigo Martinez
- 7: Marcos Alonso
Midfielders:
- 1: Pedri
- 2: Ilkay Gundogan
- 3: Fermin Lopez
- 4: Oriol Romeu
- 5: Marc Casado
Forwards:
- 1: Robert Lewandowski
- 2: Raphinha
- 3: Joao Felix
- 4: Ferran Torres
- 5: Lamine Yamal
Suspended:
- Gavi
Injured:
- 1: Frenkie de Jong
- 2: Sergi Roberto
