Barcelona tackle Huesca on Saturday having safely negotiated the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final with Manchester United.
With an 11-point advantage at the summit of La Liga, the focus of the Catalan side is currently on Europe and the return match against the Red Devils on Tuesday at Camp Nou. Nevertheless, they will not wish to lose the momentum they have built with a 17-match undefeated streak in recent weeks.
Little is expected of Huesca, who lie six points from safety with seven matches remaining and will require a stellar run to salvage their situation.
They have drawn each of their last two matches but surely they can’t continue that run away to the champions elect?
| Game | Huesca vs Barcelona |
| Date | Saturday, April 13 |
| Time | 3:15pm BST / 10:15am ET |
| Stream (US) | fubo TV (7-day free trial) |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In the United States (US), the game can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial) .
New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| beIN SPORTS / beIN SPORTS en Espanol | fubo TV (7-day free trial) |
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game will not be available to view on television or via a live stream.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| N/A | N/A |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Villarreal players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Asenjo, Fernandez |
| Defenders | Laylun, Alvaro, Mori, Ruiz, Costa |
| Midfielders | Caseres, Fornals, Trigueros, Pedraza, Cazorla, Raba, Morlanes, Chukwueze, Fuego |
| Forwards | Gerard, Bacca, Ekambi |
Huesca’s defence is bolstered by the return of Jorge Miramon, who has missed the last three matches because of injury and Xabi Etxeita, who was previously banned. As such, they could return to using three centre-backs.
Luisinho, Pablo Insua and Carlos Akapo are all still missing, however.
Confirmed Huesca starting XI: Santamaria, Galan, Miramon, Pulido, Etxeita, Rivera, Juanpi, Moi Gomez, Ferreiro, Gallego, Avila.
| Position | Barcelona players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Ter Stegen, Pena, Cillessen |
| Defenders | Semedo, Lenglet, Jordi Alba, Miranda, Chumi, Murillo, Todibo, Vermaelan |
| Midfielders | Rakitic, Busquets, Coutinho, Vidal, Alena, Boateng, Arthur |
| Forwards | Messi, Dembele, Malcom |
Lionel Messi was given the all clear to play after suffering a nasal injury against Manchester United last Wednesday, but has been rested along with several other star players.
Gerard Pique and Luis Suarez are both banned, while Rafinha is out.
Jean-Clair Todibo and Moussa Wague make their first-team debuts while Riqui Puig and Jeison Murillo make a first appearance in La Liga.
Confirmed Barcelona starting XI: Ter Stegen, Todibo, Murillo, Wague, Umtiti, Vidal, Alena, Puig, Boateng, Malcom, Dembele.
Betting & Match Odds
Barcelona are the odds-on favourites at 13/20 with bet365 . Huesca can be backed at 15/4, while the draw is available at 16/5.
Match Preview
It might not have been vintage Barcelona on Wednesday night against Manchester United at Old Trafford, yet Ernesto Valverde’s men were well deserving of their 1-0 success.
The Catalans did not allow their opponents a single shot on target over the course of the game, and though off the boil themselves in possession, at least forced home keeper David de Gea into regular action after Luke Shaw had deflected Luis Suarez’s header into his own goal.
Reflecting on the club’s first ever win at Old Trafford, left-back Jordi Alba said: “We controlled every single aspect of the game perfectly. We had most of the ball, we played well in the air, where they are so powerful, we also kept our balance to avoid their counter-attacks.”
Barca know, however, that their slender advantage is not decisive and with the second leg of that Champions League qualifier speeding around on Tuesday, it would be understandable if their focus was drawn to that encounter given their healthy 11-point lead in La Liga.
Huesca, meanwhile, have little choice but to target an unlikely three points in the Catalan capital. They find themselves in a desperate situation at the foot of the Primera Division, with just 24 points to their credit from 31 matches.
Their form, however, has shown signs of improvement in recent weeks. After a heart-breaking last-minute loss away to Real Madrid, Leo Franco’s side have bounced back with successive draws against Celta and Levante, though such results will not be sufficient to save them.
“We can win in Barca by giving our lives on the field,” striker Enric Gallego said. “We’ll work hard to try to take advantage of the chances we have.
“Maybe this is the best time to play Barcelona, I suppose they will rotate, but they will equally be a very competitive team.”
If they were to win, it may give them the shot in the arm they need to avoid the drop.
