Preview – Barcelona vs Eibar
Barcelona are gearing up for their final game of 2020 which will be an intriguing clash vs 17th-placed Eibar. After this game, the Catalan giants won't be in action until January 3, meaning the result of Tuesday's Camp Nou clash could set the tone for 2021.
2020 has not been a great year for the Blaugrana, having ended the 2019/20 campaign trophyless for the first time in ages while suffering an embarrassing 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League. Ronald Koeman was eventually appointed as their new manager, tasked with turning things around after the fiasco that unfolded under Quique Setien's reign, but things have been bumpy for the Dutch boss.
After 14 games, Barcelona boast only 24 points, occupying the fifth spot while trailing league leaders Atletico Madrid by eight points. In fact, earlier on in the season, many began wondering whether Messi and Co. would miss out on a top-four finish let alone win the Spanish Primera Division crown, something unfathomable in prior seasons.
However, it should be pointed out that things have picked up for the club recently. A 3-0 home defeat vs Juventus in their final UEFA Champions League group-stage game meant they missed out on the top spot but results in La Liga have picked up, with the Catalan giants losing only once in their last six fixtures.
Three of their last four league ties have ended in victories, beating Levante, Real Sociedad and Real Valladolid in those aforementioned games. Victory over Eibar could temporarily propel Barcelona to third. Can they pull off a win? Tune in to find out.
Team news
Barcelona: The home side will be without the services of Lionel Messi, with the club captain being given a few days off due to an ankle issue. Fortunately, Dembele could return to the lineup and will look to partner promising midfielder Pedri. Fati, Pique, and Roberto all remained sidelined.
Eibar: Yoshinori Muto, Sergi Enrich, Roberto Correa, Paulo Oliveira, Sergio Cubero, and Cote are all out for the visitors. On top of that, Damian Kadzior is unavailable due to sickness.
Key stats
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Barcelona have won all but one of their 12 league encounters with Eibar so far (D1).
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The Blaugrana have scored at least three goals in their six home clashes with Tuesday's opponents.
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Eibar's two biggest defeats in La Liga have come at the Camp Nou (6-1 and 5-0 defeats).
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Griezmann has contributed to three goals in his last three encounters with Eibar, scoring one and assisting two.
Broadcast listings
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
