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Attendance: 67,435
Barcelona logo
La Liga | Gameweek 24
Feb 16, 2019 at 7.45pm UK
 
Real Valladolid logo

1-0

Messi (43' pen.)
FT(HT: 1-0)

How Barcelona could line up against Real Valladolid

Sports Mole looks at how Barcelona could line up in Saturday's La Liga clash with Real Valladolid.

Barcelona will be looking to return to winning ways following three successive draws when they welcome Real Valladolid to Camp Nou in La Liga on Saturday night.

Ernesto Valverde's side are still top of the table, but are now just six points clear of second-placed Real Madrid, having drawn their last two league fixtures against Valencia and Athletic Bilbao.

The Catalan giants have only lost two of their 23 league matches this season, though, and have had a free week to prepare for this match as they are not in Champions League last-16 action until February 19.

Barcelona recorded a 1-0 win over Valladolid in the reverse fixture earlier this season, with Ousmane Dembele scoring the only goal of the match just before the hour.

Meanwhile, in the last five league meetings between the two teams at Camp Nou - which have all ended in home victories - Barcelona have scored 20 times.

Here, Sports Mole takes a look at how Barcelona could line up against Valladolid.


POSS BAR XI vs. VAL

Out: Rafinha (knee), Jasper Cillessen (muscle), Arthur (hamstring)
Doubtful: Samuel Umtiti (knee)

Samuel Umtiti is back in training for Barcelona after seemingly overcoming his troublesome knee problem. The Frenchman has not played for the Catalan giants since November, but is now nearing a first-team return.

It seems likely that Gerard Pique and Clement Lenglet will continue in central defence this weekend, though, with Umtiti being eased back into action following a spell on the sidelines.

Jordi Alba will return after missing the draw with Bilbao through suspension, meaning that either Sergi Roberto or Nelson Semedo will drop out of the first XI.

Dembele could take Philippe Coutinho's spot in the final third, while Lionel Messi will have benefited from the break in fixtures to take care of his recent thigh problem and the Argentine should start this weekend.

Arthur is still on the sidelines with a hamstring problem, however, meaning that there could be a start for Carles Alena as Arturo Vidal struggled to impress at Bilbao last time out.

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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Barcelona17122350193138
2Real Madrid16113234132136
3Atletico MadridAtletico16105130111935
4Athletic Bilbao1795326151132
5Villarreal157532725226
6Real Sociedad167361611524
7Osasuna166642225-324
8Mallorca177371620-424
9GironaGirona166462223-122
10Celta Vigo166372527-221
11Real BetisBetis165651820-221
12Rayo Vallecano155461516-119
13Sevilla165471723-619
14Las PalmasLas Palmas165382227-518
15Getafe163761113-216
16AlavesAlaves164391827-915
17Leganes163671423-915
18Espanyol1541101528-1313
19Valencia142481322-910
20Real ValladolidValladolid1623111134-239


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