
Barcelona vs. Las Palmas: Team News, Preview, Live Stream and TV Info
Barcelona play host to Las Palmas in La Liga on Saturday hoping they can jumpstart their campaign following a slump in form, which has left them with just one win from their last three matches.
The Blaugrana bounced back from their recent poor run with a 3-1 win over Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday, seeing them into the last eight of this season's Copa del Rey—although it was still far from their most confident display.
Meanwhile, Las Palmas have won their last two fixtures, and while the more recent of those—a 3-2 victory over Atletico Madrid on Tuesday—couldn't keep them in the Copa del Rey, the Gran Canaria club are blossoming.
A win in Catalonia in Week 18 could move Las Palmas up to seventh in La Liga, although they would need Athletic Bilbao to lose on their trip to Leganes in order to do so.
We provide a breakdown of all the latest team news and a match preview of the Camp Nou clash, along with all the viewing information needed to ensure you don't miss a minute of Saturday's action.
Date: Saturday, January 14
Time: 3:15 p.m. GMT/10:15 a.m. ET
Venue: Camp Nou, Barcelona
TV Info: beIN Sports 2 (U.S.), Sky Sports 3 (UK delay, 5:30 p.m. GMT)
Live Stream: FuboTV (U.S.), beIN Sports Connect (U.S.)
| Barcelona 3-1 Athletic Bilbao | Atletico Madrid 2-3 Las Palmas |
| Villarreal 1-1 Barcelona | Las Palmas 1-0 Sporting Gijon |
| Athletic Bilbao 2-1 Barcelona | Las Palmas 0-2 Atletico Madrid |
| Barcelona 7-0 Hercules | Las Palmas 2-1 Huesca |
| Barcelona 4-1 Espanyol | Atletico Madrid 1-0 Las Palmas |
Team News
Both sides are fortunate to boast a relatively clean bill of health coming into Saturday's encounter, and Barca manager Luis Enrique even had an injury boost in midweek to improve his recent fortunes.
That came after reserve goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen made his return to the starting XI for Wednesday's outing against Athletic, giving No. 1 Marc-Andre ter Stegen some extra cover:
There are concerns over Ivan Rakitic's future at the Camp Nou after the midfielder has failed to feature in any of his side's last three league fixtures and was even left out of the squad altogether for the recent 1-1 draw with Villarreal.
However, the Guardian's Sid Lowe has dismissed any recent speculation of a move and said Rakitic is set to stay at Barca "for at least the rest of the season," while people attempt to work out why the Croat has been omitted of late.
The only fresh concern for Las Palmas manager Quique Setien is Hernan Trujillo, who came off early in Tuesday's win over Atletico with an unspecified injury, although he was unlikely to feature at the Camp Nou.
Predicted Barcelona XI (4-3-3): Marc-Andre ter Stegen; Sergi Roberto, Jordi Alba, Gerard Pique, Samuel Umtiti; Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta, Andre Gomes; Lionel Messi, Neymar, Luis Suarez
Predicted Las Palmas XI (4-1-4-1): Javi Varas; Michel Macedo, Dani Castellano, David Garcia, Pedro Bigas; Roque Mesa; Vicente Gomez, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Tana, Jonathan Viera; Marko Livaja
Preview
Regularly looked upon as masters of their own fate, it seems Barcelona's stars are once again facing a battle from within to exit their recent tailspin, with the club now third in La Liga, five points off leaders Real Madrid and a point behind Sevilla.
Jason Rubin and Francis Maxwell of The Young Turks recently delved into just what it might be that has Enrique's side playing unlike their usual selves, with the front three of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar under the microscope:
Saturday's fixture is by no means a guaranteed win for the reigning league champions, either, after Las Palmas put in yet another brave display on Tuesday as ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan noted the threat they posed to Atletico Madrid:
Putting three goals past a team managed by Diego Simeone is no small feat in itself, and after beating Athletic 3-1 in La Liga a matter of weeks ago, Barca will be on red alert.
After resting in midweek, the likes of Jonathan Viera and Kevin-Prince Boateng are danger men the Barcelona defence would be wise to keep under tight guard.










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