Leganes vs Barcelona Predictions

Barcelona lost just three league matches throughout 2018/19 en route to securing their 26th La Liga title, so they will be bitterly disappointed to have registered the same amount of defeats already this term after just 12 games.

All three disappointments have been away from home, which raises a few doubts ahead of this Saturday’s clash with Leganes; however, we expect Ernesto Valverde’s side to have too much class for a Los Pepineros side who are propping up the league table after nine defeats from 13.

Barca’s poor results on the road in the opening weeks of the campaign appeared to be nothing more than a blip after they went on to bag convincing consecutive away victories without conceding against Getafe (0-2) and Eibar (0-3), but problems resurfaced at the beginning of the month against Levante.

The Catalan giants looked set for another routine three points at Ciutat de Valencia after Lionel Messi gave them a first-half advantage via the penalty spot. But they were stunned by three Levante goals in a superb seven-minute spell in the second half. Barca couldn’t muster any form of response, leaving their away points haul at a meagre seven from a possible 18 thus far.

Nonetheless, no other team has really managed to capitalise on their less-than-perfect start to the season and Ernesto Valverde’s men sit joint-top of the standings alongside arch rivals Real Madrid heading into Matchday 14, following a 4-1 thumping of Celta Vigo at Camp Nou before the international break. With a trip to Wanda Metropolitano to face Atleti next week and the rescheduled El Clasico at Camp Nou around the corner on December 18, the next month or so is likely to define Barca’s domestic campaign; they must ensure they succumb to no more slip-ups against inferior opposition.

They did just that against Leganes in last season’s corresponding fixture (2-1), but it’s hard to envisage a repeat this time around. Lega have lost nine of their 13 league games so far and have picked up just four points from their seven outings at Butarque. Barca have triumphed in the other five previous meetings between the teams and we expect them to bolster that record here – albeit with both teams scoring.

Lega have managed to score in each of their last four home matches, while Barcelona have kept just two clean sheets from their six games on the road. Backing a Barca win with both teams to score significantly enhances the odds on Valverde’s side in the match betting alone; recent form clearly shows the hosts have a realistic chance of getting on the scoresheet.

With that in mind, we’re also going for a 1-2 correct score in favour of the visitors. They should find this fixture fairly comfortable over the course of the 90 minutes considering the gulf in quality between the sides, but this may not reflect in the full-time score. Barca have scored more than two goals in just one of their nine away matches in all competitions this season, so 1-2 stands out as the most likely outcome for Saturday lunchtime’s action at Butarque.