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Almeria is the first team to host Las Palmas in this Saturday's La Liga schedule at Estadio de los Juegos Mediterraneos. Almeria finds themselves in a challenging position as the only team in the league without a win after the first ten rounds of the season. As a result, they currently occupy the bottom spot in the league table and have the worst defensive record, having conceded 29 goals so far in the campaign. In recent weeks, Almeria's defense has been struggling, allowing three or more goals in each of their last four league matches.
Additionally, Almeria has conceded two or more goals in eight consecutive games. However, they might have a glimmer of hope as they are now set to face one of the weakest attacking teams in the division.
Las Palmas, on the other hand, has only managed to score six goals in the first ten rounds. They have adopted a conservative and defensive style of play under their coach, Garci Pimienta, this season. Their two-game winning streak was halted by a disappointing 0-1 home defeat against Rayo Vallecano after the international break. This defeat could have turned in their favor had Munir El Haddadi converted a penalty kick in the first half at Estadio de Gran Canaria.
These two teams faced each other in July of this year, resulting in a goalless draw in a preseason exhibition. Historically, draws have been a common outcome in their matches, occurring in 13 of their last 26 encounters. In the previous six games between Almeria and Las Palmas, we only witnessed three or more goals being scored once.
The inaugural El Clasico of the 2023/24 season is upon us. Barcelona is set to host their arch-rivals Real Madrid at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, both teams vying for supremacy. After ten league matches, the two sides are separated by just a single point in the standings, making a victory crucial for whichever team secures it.
Despite a slight dimming of its luster, El Clasico remains a marquee event on the football calendar, a must-see for most enthusiasts, regardless of who takes the field. Hernandez's squad enters this clash with an unblemished record this season, notching seven wins and three draws in La Liga. Additionally, they've swept all three of their Champions League encounters.
Barcelona is currently in excellent form, even with a substantial roster of injured players including key figures like Robert Lewandowski, Frenkie De Jong, Raphinha, and Pedri. Xavi has yet to confirm their availability for Saturday's match. The Blaugrana have emerged victorious in three of their last five meetings with Real Madrid, while the latter has secured two victories. In their most recent competitive face-off, Real Madrid triumphed 4-0 in April 2023, with Karim Benzema netting a hat-trick.
This Saturday holds special significance in LaLiga, marking the commencement of the 2023-24 Clasico season as Barcelona plays host to their age-old rivals, Real Madrid. These encounters are always monumental events, and this marks their 255th official meeting. Real Madrid holds a slight edge in the series, boasting 102 victories to Barca's 100, with 52 draws. This dynamic adds to the intensity as they face off at Montjuic.
Even though the match will be held at the Olympic Stadium due to ongoing renovations at Barça's Camp Nou venue, the atmosphere is anticipated to be just as charged. The home team will need every ounce of that energy to emerge victorious. Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid currently tops the table after 10 games, with Barça trailing by just a point. Furthermore, Los Blancos have been dominant in recent encounters, securing a 4-0 victory in the Copa del Rey semifinal second leg, and winning three of their last four away games against Xavi's squad.
The previous season saw a shared outcome, but Barcelona might argue that they had a slight advantage due to their victories over Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup final and at Camp Nou en route to winning the 2022-23 LaLiga title. Madrid, who had won their league meeting at the Santiago Bernabeu last season, bounced back with a convincing 4-1 aggregate win in the Copa del Rey semifinal. However, there have been changes on both sides since then.
Real Madrid currently leads the table with eight wins, one draw (from their recent 1-1 match against Sevilla), and just one defeat, a painful 3-1 loss to Atletico in the Madrid Derby. They boast the best defensive record in LaLiga, conceding only seven goals in 10 games. However, their goal-scoring has been a concern, with Girona, Atletico Madrid, and Barca all having more goals than Madrid's 21. They have relied heavily on Jude Bellingham's excellent performance (with eight goals), and while Joselu has delivered (with five), neither Vinícius Júnior (two, following a month-long injury absence) nor Rodrygo Goes (one) have contributed enough.
Carlo Ancelotti and Xavi, despite their significant differences in age and experience, share a unique ability to motivate and inspire. They both come from illustrious midfields in their playing careers, with Ancelotti being more of an organizer and playmaker at Roma and Milan, while Xavi was a remarkable conductor known for his exceptional passing range. In the modern era, where top coaches must connect with and understand their superstar players, "Carletto" and Xavi possess warmth, effective communication skills, and a shared passion for team-building.
When Barcelona secured the winning goal against Athletic, the notable figures celebrating in the stands overshadowed those on the field. Frenkie de Jong, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Pedri, and Jules Kounde were among the spectators, leaving a void in the team on the pitch.
A few days later, when Barcelona faced Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League, they did so with only 14 first-team players available. There is hope that some of them, particularly Lewandowski and De Jong, will be ready for the upcoming Clasico. However, let's revisit the moment when Barcelona scored the winning goal against Athletic on that Sunday night.
On that occasion, the winning goal was scored by Marc Guiu, a 17-year-old making his debut, who had been on the pitch for just 33 seconds. Against Shakhtar, another young academy talent, Fermin Lopez, stood out as the top performer.
Teams often turn to their youth when facing challenges, and Barcelona is no exception. The good news for the club is that their young talents tend to rise to the occasion. As the saying goes, "Made in La Masia," and what's developed there tends to be of high quality. It's worth remembering that Barcelona once filled an entire Ballon d'Or podium with homegrown players: Iniesta, Xavi, and Messi.
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Arguably the most anticipated football match of the year is scheduled to take place at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on Saturday afternoon. It will see Barcelona, the reigning La Liga champions, hosting Real Madrid, who currently lead the division.
Barcelona, having maintained an undefeated streak in all competitions this season, currently holds the third position in the league. They've amassed 24 points from their first 10 matches. In contrast, Real Madrid leads the table with 25 points.
Barcelona dominated La Liga last season, winning the championship with four games to spare and finishing 10 points ahead of the second-placed Real Madrid. However, it seems that this season's title race will be much closer.
Xavi's team has had some difficulties in the league this season, with draws against Getafe, Mallorca, and Granada. Nevertheless, they've won their remaining seven matches, accumulating 24 points and positioning themselves third, just one point behind both second-placed Girona and leaders Real Madrid after 10 games.
In their recent league matches against Real Madrid, Barcelona secured victories in two out of the last three encounters, including a 2-1 win in the corresponding fixture last season. It's worth noting that this match won't be held at Camp Nou due to ongoing renovations, which could make the contest more even.
Overall, in their last six meetings with Real Madrid across all competitions, Barcelona has won four times. While the outcome of this match won't determine the title, it remains significant for both teams to secure a positive result.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid is coming into the upcoming match following a 2-1 victory over Braga in the Champions League on Tuesday, putting them at the top of Group C with nine points. Similar to Barcelona, Carlo Ancelotti's team is in an excellent position to progress to the round of 16. Currently, they are leading La Liga, with a record of eight wins, one draw, and one loss. Their defeat came against Atletico Madrid on September 24, and it was a subpar performance on their part during that match at Wanda Metropolitano.
Real Madrid also didn't perform at their best in their recent league match against Sevilla but managed to secure a point after initially falling behind. Their narrow victory over Braga in Portugal means they'll enter El Clasico with a recent win, which has boosted their confidence due to a strong start to the season.
A standout player for them this season has been Jude Bellingham, who has scored 11 goals and provided three assists in 12 appearances across all competitions. The 20-year-old is about to make his first appearance in a Clasico, and it seems he has a promising future ahead in the Spanish capital.
The last time these two teams met in the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final in March, Real Madrid dominated Barcelona with a 4-0 victory. Their last league win at Barcelona's home ground was in October 2021.
This season, Real Madrid boasts the best defensive record in La Liga, having conceded only seven goals, while Barcelona has allowed 10 goals. However, Xavi's team has outscored the Madrid side, with 22 goals to their 21.
