Fresh off a thunderous Champions League triumph in midweek, Barcelona’s attention snaps back to La Liga—and the stakes couldn’t be higher. On Saturday night, the treble-chasing Blaugrana travel to face a desperate, scrapping Leganes side who are fighting tooth and nail to survive.
For Hansi Flick’s side, this isn’t just another league fixture. It’s an opportunity to tighten their grip on the title race and pile even more pressure on their eternal rivals, Real Madrid. With a win, Barça would surge seven points clear at the top of the table—a psychological blow in a race that’s heating up fast.
But don’t expect Leganes to roll over. Sitting 18th, two points adrift of safety, Borja Jimenez’s men are in survival mode. Every point is a lifeline, every match a final. The Estadio Municipal de Butarque will be a cauldron of tension, and Barcelona will need to dig deep to silence a team with nothing to lose.
Championship dreams vs. relegation nightmares. One game. Two very different worlds.
Leganés are living on the edge. Locked in 18th place and staring relegation in the face, the newly-promoted side has stumbled through much of the season—and with just 29 goals to their name, only Valladolid have found the net fewer times. Goals win games, and right now, Leganés are desperately short on firepower.
Their most recent outing—a 1-1 draw with Osasuna—offered some hope, but that simply won’t cut it against the might of Barcelona. They’ll need to find another gear entirely if they want to survive Saturday night’s storm.
And yet, there’s a glimmer of belief. Last year, Leganés shocked the football world with a narrow 1-0 victory over Barça in the reverse fixture. Now, they stand on the brink of history—one win away from becoming only the fifth newly-promoted team to ever do the double over Barcelona in La Liga. That alone should light a fire in their bellies.
Enric Franquesa remains sidelined with a long-term knee injury, but there’s a boost with the return of Oscar Rodriguez from suspension. Head coach Borja Jimenez was encouraged by his side’s grit against Osasuna, and don’t be surprised to see him stick with that same XI—including Diego Garcia up top and the red-hot Dani Raba, who’s bagged four goals in his last three league matches and is quickly becoming Leganés’ spark of hope.
Backs against the wall. A shot at history. And the champions in town. Leganés are ready to roll the dice.
LEGANÉS predicted lineup vs BARCELONA: Dmitrovic (GK); Gonzalez, Nastasic, Tapia; Rosier, Cisse, Neyou, J Hernandez; Cruz, Raba, D Garcia.
Barcelona are flying. The Catalan giants sit proudly at the top of the La Liga table and arrive in Madrid brimming with confidence after obliterating Borussia Dortmund 4-0 in midweek. That dominant Champions League display has one foot in the semifinals—and now, their full focus shifts back to the title race.
Still, there’s no room for slip-ups. A frustrating 1-1 draw against Real Betis last weekend ended a blistering run of nine straight league victories. Flick’s side can’t afford another misstep—not with Real Madrid lurking in second place. And with three consecutive away wins under their belt, Barça will be looking to keep that momentum alive under the Saturday night lights.
Recent history heavily favors the visitors. Eight wins in their last ten meetings with Leganés paints a clear picture of dominance. But with Leganés fighting for their lives, complacency is not an option.
As for the lineup, Flick is expected to rotate carefully. Robert Lewandowski could be rested to preserve his legs for the coming weeks, opening the door for Ferran Torres to lead the line. At the back, Ronald Araújo is knocking on the door for a start, while Gavi could reclaim a spot in midfield—potentially at the expense of Iñigo Martínez and Fermín López.
There were nerves over Lamine Yamal’s knock against Dortmund, but the teenage sensation is fully fit and raring to go. Meanwhile, Dani Olmo, Marc Casado, Marc Bernal, and Marc-André ter Stegen all remain sidelined.
Barça’s treble dream is alive. But with everything on the line and Leganés desperate, this might not be as straightforward as it looks on paper.
BARCELONA predicted lineup vs LEGANÉS: Szczesny (GK); Kounde, Cubarsi, Araujo, Balde; De Jong, Pedri; Yamal, Gavi, Raphinha; Torres.
Goals, goals, goals—that’s been the theme of Barcelona’s season. No team in La Liga comes close to matching their firepower, with an eye-popping average of 3.73 goals per game, the highest in the league. Every Barça match feels like a goal fest, and they’ll be looking to bring more of the same in Madrid.
Leganés, for their part, have also been part of some wild encounters lately. Over the last eight matchdays, their games have quietly ranked among the highest-scoring in the division, a surprising stat for a team in the relegation zone.
Coming off a 4-0 demolition of Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona arrive in top gear, and there’s every chance they’ll keep the scoring engine running at full throttle. The Catalans are starting to look ruthless in the final third—and that’s a scary prospect for a Leganés backline that’s been leaking goals at home.
In fact, the hosts have conceded exactly three goals in three of their last five La Liga home games. With the league leaders in town, that worrying trend could easily continue. All signs point to another night of fireworks.
Prediction: Barcelona wins & over 2.5 goals.
