Almeria will host Barcelona! Catch our La Liga odds series with this prediction and pick on the Almeria-Barcelona match.
Almeria (6-4-12) will be looking to inflict some wounds against FC Barcelona (19-2-1) in Round 23 of Spain’s La Liga as the two teams lock horns at Estadio del Mediterráneo. It’s time to check our La Liga odds series, starring our Almeria-Barcelona prediction and pick.
Xavi’s team has been on in a bit of a slump. After an exit in the Europa League, the Blaugrana will hope to secure all domestic titles in Spain with sharp focus in the La Liga.
Almeria currently sits at 19th place, lagging behind by one point from Valencia. The Rojiblancos are still in relegation scare, sharing spots with Getafe and Elche.
Here are the Almeria-Barcelona soccer odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
La Liga Odds: Almeria-Barcelona Odds
UD Almeria: +500
FC Barcelona: -220
Draw: +350
Over 2.5 Goals: -164
Under 2.5 Goals: +134
How to Watch Almeria vs. Barcelona
TV: DAZN, ESPN Deportes
Stream: ESPN+, fuboTV
Time: 12:30 PM ET / 9:30 AM PT
*Watch soccer LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Almeria Can Beat Barcelona
Despite being a bottom-ranked team, Almería will not pose themselves as easy opponents. The Segunda División winners last season are in 19th place, earning 22 points from six wins, four draws, and 12 defeats. The Rojiblancos will aim to get the three points here to leapfrog into a potential 14th-place finish.
Rubi’s team will need some serious spark to end their February fixture. They started this year with an 0-2 loss to Real Sociedad, followed by two draws and a 3-1 beating against Espanyol. La Union is still winless this February, earning defeats from Rayo Vallecano, Real Betis, and Girona. The Almeriensistas will need some serious attacking changes, as they have only found the back of the net 27 times while giving up 40 goals. Their home record is fairly good as they rank eighth in the league with 19 points earned from 11 games. They have six wins, one draw, and four defeats when playing on home turf.
UDA recorded a 2-0 loss from Barca in the reverse match earlier this season. Almeria is still yet to win versus Barcelona, as they have just secured two draws in the last 15 matches. Almeria aims to snap their three-game losing streak with an upset win against the Catalan outfit. El Bilal Toure is a guaranteed starter as the squad's leading goalscorer (5), as well as Lucas Robertone who tops the team in assist-making (5). Leo Baptistao ranks third in the team with five goal contributions.
As for Almeria, Gonzalo Melero is a doubt in making an appearance in this game. No injured personnel are reported for Almeria, but Inigo Eguaras, Cesar de la Hoz, Sergio Akieme, and Largie Ramazani are still at risk for suspension, racking up four yellow cards already.
Why Barcelona Can Beat Almeria
FC Barcelona is at the top of the league table at the moment, earning 59 of the possible 66 points. Barcelona saw an 18-game unbeaten run in all competitions come to an end from the hands of Manchester United. With the absence of Ousmane Dembele, Gavi, and Pedri, Man U blasted through the Blaugrana in the second-half, thanks to goals from Fred and Antony.
The Blaugrana will look to bounce back in Spain’s domestic top flight, and they hope to preserve their excellent performance as visitors. Xavi’s side earned 30 of the possible 33 points in 11 games while playing away, which stands as the best record in La Liga. Barca definitely knows how to outplay Almeria, winning 13 of the last 15 fixtures. Their last game back in November gave them a 2-0 win at Camp Nou. The Catalan outfit had a 70% ball possession with a 27 to 4 total shot advantage, as well as a 9-1 edge on corner kicks. Ousmane Dembele and Frenkie De Jong were in the scoresheet for Barca.
The visitors have just surrendered six goals while playing in 11 away games. First-choice goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen has been a brick wall and is poised to take home the Zamora trophy, posting league highs with 17 clean sheets and an 88.9 save percentage.
Barcelona will not see Pedri and Ousmane Dembele on the pitch for this fixture. Robert Lewandowski, Sergi Roberto, and Raphinha are primed to take forward duties, while Xavi will employ three midfielders in Gavi, Sergio Busquets, and Frenkie De Jong. Ronald Araujo should again be joined in the middle of the defense by Andreas Christensen, while Alejandro and Jules Kounde will take wing-back responsibilities.
Final Almeria-Barcelona Prediction & Pick
Almeria has a fairly good performance while playing at home. Yet, the Catalan giants are poised to remain undefeated against Almeria. Almeria will be extremely lucky to squeak a goal in this match, but Barca is sure to bring the victory and hold a comfortable margin on top of the La Liga standings.
Final Almeria-Barcelona Prediction & Pick: FC Barcelona(-220), Over 2.5 goals (-164)
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