Eibar and Barcelona measure forces in the Municipal Stadium of Ipurúa, in a match for the 9th round of the First Division. The record of direct confrontations in this stadium is favorable to the visiting team, which in the last 5 matches won 4 and drew 1. But the last time these two teams met in this stadium was on 19.05-2019, for the First Division, which ended in a draw for (2-2). Marc Cucurella (20 ‘) and P. De Blasis (45’) scored the goals of the match, for Eibar, and L. Messi (31 ‘e 32’), for Barcelona. The home / away condition deserves particular attention, since despite this being a match between 14th and 2nd of the league table, it is actually a confrontation between the 13th ranked in home games and the 10th as a visitor.
Eibar :
The home team is currently in the 14th position, with 9 points won, after 2 wins, 3 draws and 3 losses. In the penultimate match, he won at home against Celta de Vigo by (2‑0). In the last game, they tied out against Real Betis by (1‑1). This is a team that is usually more competitive at home, since it conquered 6 points in its stadium, where it scored 6 goals and suffered 4, against only 3 points outside, with 4 goals scored and 6 suffered. The team arrives at this match after a defeat away with Toulouse by (2‑0). In the last 10 games played at home for all competitions, Eibar won 5, drew 2 and lost 3. Their attack has scored regularly, as they scored goals in 6 of the last 8 games for this competition. There is 1 period that stands out in the last 4 home matches for all competitions: he scored 3 of his 6 goals between minutes (46′ ‑ 60 ‘).
Eibar arrives motivated to this match, after a positive draw, to a ball, on the trip to the Real Betis stadium, adding the fourth consecutive game without losing in this Spanish championship: Orellana scored the only goal of the team. Keep in mind that the home team has won the last 2 games in their stadium, against Celta de Vigo and Sevilla. In this match against the fans, coach José Luis Mendilibar must keep the team in its usual tactical design, that is, 4-3-3, in which Takashi Inui, Orellana and Kike are the most advanced men in the team. The Chilean Fabian Orellana is the most prominent of Eibar, with 3 goals and 2 assists. Out of this game is Gonzalo Escalante, due to the punishment.
Barcelona:
The visiting team is currently in 2nd position, with 16 points won, after 5 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses. In the penultimate match, he won out against Getafe by (0-2). In the last game, he won at home against Sevilla by (4-0). This is a stronger team in his stadium, where he won 12 points, against only 4 in his away matches. In its last 4 away matches for the championship, Barcelona records 1 victory, 1 draw and 2 losses, so it conquered 4 points in 12 possible. The team allowed goals to the opponent in 6 of the last 8 games, so he has not presented great defensive strength, but his attack has scored regularly, since he scored goals in 6 of the last 8 games for this competition. In 8 games in this competition, he only got 1 comeback in the 4 games in which he suffered the first goal.
The Catalan team enters this day very motivated, after having added another victory in the Spanish league, the third in a row, this time at home, against Sevilla, by 4×0: the team’s goals were scored by Lionel Messi, Arturo Vidal, Dembélé and Luis Suárez. It should be noted that Barcelona needs to win to put pressure on Real Madrid at the top of the league table. Despite playing as a visitor, coach Ernesto Valverde must act with an offensive strategy, seeking counterattacks to exploit the opponent’s back. At the individual level we highlight the Uruguayan Luis Suárez: he is the best gunner in Barcelona in the championship, with 4 goals scored. The absences for this game, by suspension, are: Dembélé, Piqué and Ronaldo Araújo.
