A win in the first game after the international break is vital for Barcelona if they want to carry on their good form. This game could see the reformation of the M-S-N partnership which could spell trouble for Alavés.
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Barcelona have had a perfect start to the season so far with 2 wins from 2 matches. However, the international break has halted any momentum that they may have had. Alavés have already shown that they are not going to roll over for teams with a 1-1 draw against Atlético Madrid proving that. They are also currently unbeaten in the league, so this could be a hard game for Barcelona. The Basque side played on the counter-attack against Atlético, and didn’t put much pressure on the ball which suits Barça. Although the recently promoted side do play with a clear game plan though with clean sheets being key. Therefore they will be hard to break down, so Barcelona need to be patient with their play.
Squads
André Gomes and Marc-Andre Ter Stegen are the only injured players for Barcelona due to a foot injury and hamstring problem which they respectively sustained during the international break. Andrés Iniesta and Lionel Messi are unlikely to start though due to them both coming back from recent injuries. Neymar returns to the team after his long summer on international duty which is great news for Barcelona fans. Alavés are missing Zouhair Feddal in defence due to injury, but that is their only major injury concern.
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History
The last matches in La Liga between the teams was in the 2005/06 season with Barcelona beating them 2-0 at home and drawing away at Alavés, so there isn’t much recent history to use. The last time the 2 teams played was in 2012 with Barcelona winning 6-1 on aggregate in the Copa del Rey. Last season the Basque side finished top of the Segunda División, so they certainly have a good team spirit and lots of confidence coming in to the new season. However, Barcelona should prove too much for them even if they rest some of their key players.
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