La Liga Week 28 Preview: Barcelona Should Breeze Past Woeful Malaga

La Liga Week 28 Preview: Barcelona Should Breeze Past Woeful Malaga
09:17, 09 Mar 2018

Barca have to put their Malaga hoodoo to bed

Top plays bottom in what should be a routine three points for the leaders, but the Andalusians have put a spoke in Barca’s last couple of seasons.

The Blaugrana will also have one eye on Chelsea, the Champions League second leg immediately following this one.

Andres Iniesta is definitely out, and Gerard Pique is likely to be rested to allow him time to recover from his knee concerns.

Ernesto Valverde may also decide to rotate one or two others. All of which might give Malaga hope of pulling off an improbable result.

To do that, however, they need to score. Sixteen in 27 La Liga matches is pitiful. That’s at least five less than any other team in the division.

Should Barca take the initiative and the lead, it’s hard to see where Malaga get back into the game. Valverde’s men have seen off far better attacks.

Only last week, Messrs. Griezmann, Costa, Gameiro and Correa could only muster one shot on goal between them.

It could get embarrassing.

Eibar will be undone by Real

The last thing Eibar need when points are everything to them, are playing against a Real Madrid side that almost always beat them, and who are cock-a-hoop after their fine victory in Paris.

From here on in, Zinedine Zidane won’t rotate too much in order to keep his best XI match fit and ready for the big Champions League games.

To that end, don’t expect too many changes from midweek with Gareth Bale again on the bench.

Eibar have again surpassed expectations this season, and credit for that must go to Zidane’s opposite number, Jose Luis Mendilibar.

Los Armeros took Barcelona all the way at Ipurua recently and if Real think they can just turn up and walk away with the three points, they need to think again.

A big miss for the hosts is the always-dangerous Fabian Orellana. The wide man’s pace would’ve troubled Marcelo.

As it is, they’ll rely a little more on Ruben Pena and Jose Angel getting forward from the full-back areas, and playing balls in behind for either Charles and Pedro Leon to get on the end of.

A lot of huff and puff from Eibar, but lacking the quality to blow Real’s house down.

Atleti have lost key men for Celta test

Against one of the most vibrant sides in the division, you don’t want to be losing two of your best players, especially if they’re part of the spine of the team.

The loss to injury of Diego Godin and Jan Oblak could well have dire consequences against the Galician’s, who’ll know that a win will keep them in with a great chance of a European placing.

Atleti are, realistically, the only team that can stop Barcelona from winning the title now, and the Rojiblancos have been managing to grind out the results recently, last week’s visit to the Camp Nou being the exception.

Cover in defence isn’t as much of a problem for Simeone as replacing his keeper.

If the likes of Maxi Gomez and Iago Aspas can’t get at the Slovenian’s replacement, there could be rich pickings.

At the other end, Antoine Griezmann and Diego Costa will keep Celta’s back four on their toes, with Facundo Roncaglia their weakest link.

Despite being the home team, I’d expect Atleti to sit back and invite the pressure, and then look to hit the visitors on the break.

Valencia widen the gap

A Saturday afternoon treat from the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.

Jose Gaya is ruled out for Valencia, who will know that three points in Andalusia will strengthen their hand in terms of qualification for next season’s Champions League.

The current eight-point gap between themselves and Sevilla would become 11 with an away victory, and as such, Marcelino will send his players out to attack from the first whistle.

Expect to see Goncalo Guedes at the hub of everything, with Simone Zaza putting himself about up front.

Sevilla, like Barcelona, have a Champions League game in the days following this weekend’s fixtures, and that may well dictate Vincenzo Montella’s line-up.

But is it really wise to be putting all of his eggs into one basket? With respect, even if Sevilla were to beat Manchester United, they won’t win the trophy outright.

With a stadium packed to the rafters, the Sevillistas will expect nothing less than 110 percent effort.

It’s a given they’ll get it, but it won’t be enough. The Europa League beckons for them in 2018/19.

Unlucky 13 for Seedorf

Poor old Clarence Seedorf. You have to feel for the multiple Champions League winner, but his Depor team are only heading one way, and it’s not up.

With no confidence in themselves whatsoever, they face a promoted Girona side who are bursting with it. Who have beaten Real Madrid this season, who haven’t lost to Atletico Madrid, and who just won away at Villarreal.

Pablo Machin has been as good for his players as they’ve been to him. A rigid framework but with the ability to be creative within that, Girona’s way of picking apart each opponent has been hugely refreshing.

On the cusp of Europe in their debut season, the players deserve nothing less. Depor’s meanwhile, deserve nothing at all.

Seedorf has tried almost everything and his staff simply aren’t responding. Players like Lucas Perez look like they’ve thrown in the towel already.

You get what you give, and the Galician’s will be 13 without a win at full time.

Keep another eye on Pablo Maffeo in this one too. You’ll understand why the Catalans want him to stay well beyond this season.

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