Barcelona head to Deportivo Alaves on Sunday for their final La Liga match prior to the October international break.
Hansi Flick’s side responded to their shock 4-2 league loss at Osasuna last time out with a 5-0 thrashing of Young Boys in the UEFA Champions League this week, with Robert Lewandowski scoring twice in the one-sided victory.
The Catalans sit top of the standings through eight matchdays, three points clear of reigning champions Real Madrid, having won all seven of their games prior to that surprise setback at El Sadar.
Alaves are 11th in the table heading into this weekend with a return of 10 points from eight games, but a defensive injury crisis has developed in the past week to leave them facing a daunting task against the division’s leading goal-scorers.
Barca won this fixture 3-1 last season, with Alaves’ goal scored by Samu Omorodion, who delivered an impressive performance for Porto against Manchester United this week. Replacing his impact up front is another challenge for head coach Luis Garcia.
STREAM: Watch every minute of Alaves vs. Barcelona LIVE with ESPN+ (USA)
Alaves vs. Barcelona lineups, predicted starting 11, team news
Alaves are enduring something of an injury crisis, particularly in defence, which has made their preparations for Barca’s visit troublesome.
Starting centre-backs Aleksandar Sedlar and Abdel Abqar both went off with muscle issues in the 2-0 loss at Getafe last time out and had not been able to train in full before Friday this week.
Right-sided player Hugo Novoa is also expected to miss out due to injury, meaning Luis Garcia may have to get creative with his backline.
Alaves predicted XI (4-2-3-1, right to left): Sivera (GK) — Tenaglia, M. Sanchez, Mourino, Diarra — Jordan, Benavidez — Vicente, Stoichkov, Martin — Martinez
Injured: Novoa, Sedlar (doubt), Abqar (doubt)
Suspended: None
Wojciech Szczesny trained for the first time with his teammates on Friday and there is a chance he could make his debut, although it feels more likely he will be given the international break to acclimatise further before being introduced to the first team against Sevilla on October 20. Inaki Pena will likely start in goal again.
Inigo Martinez suffered muscle discomfort in the 5-0 win over Young Boys, but he appears to be ready to play on Sunday. Eric Garcia is available again after serving a midweek suspension, while fit-again Frenkie de Jong could make his first start of the season.
Gavi has stepped up his recovery from a long-term injury, but he is not likely to be rushed back yet. Dani Olmo and Fermin Lopez are expected to return after the internationals.
Barcelona predicted XI (4-2-3-1, right to left): Pena (GK) — Kounde, Cubarsi, Martinez, Balde — De Jong, Pedri — Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Torres — Lewandowski
Injured: Ter Stegen, Gavi, Bernal, Christensen, Araujo, Olmo, Lopez
Suspended: None
What time does Alaves vs. Barcelona kick off?
This La Liga clash takes place at Mendizorroza in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain and kicks off on Sunday, October 6 at 4:15 p.m. local time.
Here’s how that time translates across some of the major global territories:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| USA | Sun, Oct. 6 | 10:15 a.m. ET |
| Canada | Sun, Oct. 6 | 10:15 a.m. ET |
| Australia | Mon, Oct. 7 | 12:15 a.m. AEST |
| UK | Sun, Oct. 6 | 3:15 p.m. BST |
| India | Sun, Oct. 6 | 7:30 p.m. IST |
