Despite returning to form since the restart after World Cup hiatus, Barcelona suffered another minor European hiccup in midweek, so will aim to make amends by putting a seventh straight La Liga victory on the board when they entertain relegation-battlers Cadiz on Sunday night.
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Barcelona and Manchester United produced an absolute thriller, befitting of the Champions League class and drama, with an action-packed 2-2 draw in the first leg of their Europa League round of 32 playoff at Camp Nou.
However, the hosts recent struggles in Europe continued as they showed some defensive shortcomings, despite being rock-solid in domestic circuit. They will now turn their radar to La Liga as they look to maintain distance from title-rivals Real Madrid.
Thankfully for Xavi & Co., the Cadiz attack doesn’t pose anywhere near the same attacking weapons as the Red Devils. To be fair, Xavi's men have been in simply sensational form in 2023, racking up six wins in a row in La Liga and eleven of their last twelve matches in all competitions.
They also boast a tremendous home record this season, posting a remarkable eight wins in ten home league fixtures.
Cadiz has been in decent form recently, with three wins, one draw, and two losses in their last six La Liga matches, a run that lifted them out of the relegation zone, and created some daylight between themselves and the dreaded bottom-three. Still, it's a long road to survival for them, as they are sitting just two points ahead of the 18th placed Valencia.
Sergio Gonzalez Soriano’s side will hope to carry their positive momentum against the league leaders, but it is not going to be a simple task. For instance, Barcelona brushed Cadiz aside 4-0 when the two teams met in the reverse fixture earlier this season, and this has the makings of a similarly one-sided contest.
Barcelona vs Cadiz confirmed line-ups
FC Barcelona XI (4-3-3): Ter Stegen; Kounde, Garcia, Christensen, Balde; De Jong, Roberto, Gavi; Fati, Lewandowski, Torres
Cadiz XI (4-2-3-1): Ledesma; Carcelen, Fali, Hernandez, Arzamendia; Alcaraz, Escalante; Bongonda, Alex, Ocampo; Roger
Barcelona vs Cadiz LIVE updates
Barcelona's upcoming fixtures
The Blaugrana will be aiming to get a good result under their belts here ahead of the big game next mid-week, as they make the long trip to Old Trafford to take on in-form Manchester United for the second leg of Europa League playoff, with the tie finely poised at 2-2 aggregate score.
Thereafter, Barcelona will travel to Almeria for an league encounter, followed by a blockbuster El Clasico against perennial rivals Real Madrid, in the Copa del Rey semi-final away leg on 3rd March.