Barcelona, sitting comfortably at the top of La Liga with 21 points from eight games, will be looking to reclaim their winning momentum as they face Alaves on Sunday. The Catalan giants are currently facing an injury crisis, which saw them suffer their first league defeat against Osasuna.
However, Barcelona has made a significant addition to their squad, signing Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny as a free agent on Wednesday. Szczesny, who reversed his decision to retire, will provide much-needed cover for the injured Marc-Andre ter Stegen, but will not be available for the Alaves match. Manager Hansi Flick confirmed that Szczesny will be eligible for selection after the international break.
Alaves, currently in 11th place with 10 points, will be looking to capitalize on Barcelona’s injury woes and secure a valuable victory at home.
The match promises to be an intriguing encounter, with Barcelona aiming to regain their winning form and Alaves looking for a potential upset. The predicted starting lineups for both teams are as follows:
Alaves:
* Goalkeeper: Sivera
* Defenders: Tenaglia, Mourino, Abqar, Sedlar, Diarra
* Midfielders: Jordan, Blanco
* Forwards: Vicente, Stoichkov, Martin, T. Martinez
Barcelona:
* Goalkeeper: Pena
* Defenders: Kounde, Cubarsi, Martinez, Balde
* Midfielders: Casado, Pedri
* Forwards: Yamal, Raphinha, Torres, Lewandowski
