Checking Out Barcelona’s Setup Against Alavés
Okay so yesterday I finally sat down to look at Barcelona’s upcoming game against Alavés. Wanted to figure out some decent bets. Grabbed my laptop, opened up a few news sites and the official La Liga stats page. First thing I did? Just tried to see who would be lining up for Barca.
Remembered Frenkie de Jong got hurt last game, so immediately thought, “Okay, midfield’s gonna be shuffled.” Checked the training reports people were talking about online. Saw Pedri and Gavi both training fully, which was good news. But then rumors started flying that Xavi might try something weird with Fermín López. My gut feeling said, “Don’t trust the rumors completely,” but it planted a seed. Needed concrete stuff.
Started comparing how Alavés usually plays. They sit back, right? Park the bus most times, especially against the big teams. So that means Barcelona’s fullbacks become super important. Looked at who’s fit – Cancelo for sure, but Balde? Saw conflicting stuff. Some places said he’s ready, others said nah, still not fully recovered. That uncertainty was annoying.
Here’s what I settled on after piecing it together:
- Pedri & Gavi start together: Looked solid from training pics and past games when both fit. Figured Fermín comes on later.
- Lewandowski is the main man upfront: No surprise there. Guy scores even when he looks half asleep.
- Defence stays the old guard: Koundé, Araujo, Christensen, Cancelo. Araujo back from suspension is huge.
- Gavi wide right: Yep, saw that mentioned a few credible places. Kinda makes sense to cram the talent in, even if it’s not his favorite spot.
With that lineup in my head, moved to betting angles. Alavés being defensive made betting on over goals feel risky. My heart said “Barca wins,” but my head said Alavés might sneak one goal just to annoy everyone. Thought about betting with some hesitation. Ended up putting money on Barcelona to win and Lewandowski to score anytime. Seemed like the safest bets.
But honestly? The whole Fermín López thing and Balde’s maybe-fit status made me nervous enough to keep my bet small. Learned my lesson last time betting big on a rumored lineup that flopped! Won’t do that again. Just went with what felt almost guaranteed based on Xavi’s usual picks and Alavés’s style.
