After the bitter 1-2 defeat in the Clásico against Real Madrid, Hansi Flick is under pressure: the gap to the league leaders is now five points. On Sunday, FC Barcelona welcomes Elche to Camp Nou for the eleventh matchday of La Liga, and a home win is urgently needed to avoid complicating the chase early on.
Barcelona are plagued by significant absences: Pedri is out with a torn muscle fiber until at least after the international break, and Lewandowski, Olmo, Gavi, ter Stegen, Christensen, and Raphinha are also unavailable. Flick is likely to rely once again on alternatives such as Lamine Yamal and Marcus Rashford, while Szczęsny will start in goal after his strong performance against Real.
Elche travel without any injured players and were able to rest their players in the Copa del Rey with a 4-0 win in Los Garres. Coach Eder Sarabia has a full squad to choose from and will probably play defensively, hoping for counterattacks and trying to take advantage of Barcelona’s personnel problems.
Despite Barcelona’s personnel problems and recent fluctuating form, the hosts remain favorites. A narrow home win, perhaps 2-0 or 2-1, seems likely, but Elche has the potential for a tactically disciplined performance that could keep the result open.
- Venue: Camp Nou, Barcelona
- Date and time: November 2, 2025, 6:30 p.m.
- Competition: La Liga (Matchday 11)
Based on clear statistics and Barcelona’s current personnel situation, goal bets offer the best value; a home win with goals on both sides and early offensive pressure from Barça is expected.
Barcelona has scored over 2.5 goals in each of its last five games and has never failed to concede a goal. The injuries to Lewandowski, Pedri, and Olmo are forcing adjustments in attack, but Marcus Rashford provides pace. At the same time, ter Stegen and Christensen are missing in defense, which makes the back line vulnerable. Elche has also scored in its last two games and should get chances against Barcelona’s shaky defense.
Suggestions for betting tips (risk warning: gambling can be costly): Both teams to score: Yes, combined with over 3.5 goals, as Barcelona’s offensive power is coupled with defensive vulnerability; over 1.5 goals in the first half, because Barcelona has regularly scored before the break in recent games; and the classic 1 (home win) as a complementary low-risk option with typical odds of around 1.3.
The home win is tightly priced, so value is more likely to be found in combined goal bets and half-time over bets. The statistical basis of consistent over games, goals conceded by Barça, and Elche’s recent goals suggests that the risk and potential return on the proposed goal bets are interesting.
Barcelona form & record check
The Catalans are going through a turbulent phase: three defeats in five competitive games have dampened the initial euphoria, especially the 1-2 defeat in the Clásico against Real Madrid, which saw the gap to their archrivals grow to five points.
Barcelona remain productive in attack: in their last five games, the team has scored at least once, often in the first half, with the 6-1 win against Olympiacos being the highlight. Defensively, however, there are clear weaknesses: in each of the last five games, they have conceded at least one goal, and in Seville they conceded four.
The personnel situation exacerbates the situation: Lewandowski is expected to be out until mid-November, Pedri is still sidelined with a thigh injury after being sent off, and ter Stegen, Gavi, and Christensen are out long-term with soleus injuries. Short-term absences such as Rashford’s trip to Manchester reduce psychological stress but do not solve the bottlenecks.
Flick faces the challenge of restoring stability with a depleted squad. Recent performances suggest that the team needs to be better organized tactically and defensively without sacrificing its existing offensive power.
Specific starting points: Improve defensive compactness through clear role distribution in pressing and retreating movements; rotation and load management to deploy key players more intelligently; Temporary solutions in central defense and midfield with increased collective cover; train set pieces and transition play more intensively, as many goals conceded result from such situations.
Barcelona has the quality to decide games, but is currently suffering from personnel problems and defensive imbalances. A clear tactical response is needed against Elche.
Predicted starting lineup Barcelona (4-2-3-1): Ferran Torres as striker, Lamine Yamal and Marcus Rashford on the wings, Fermín López as number ten.
In midfield, Frenkie de Jong and Marc Casadó form the central duo in front of the defense, with Koundé, Cubarsí, Eric García, and Balde making up the back four in front of goalkeeper Szczęsny.
Six players are missing due to injury or suspension, most notably Robert Lewandowski with a torn muscle fiber and Pedri with a thigh injury, both of whom are expected to be out of action until the international break; Andreas Christensen is out with calf problems.
Dani Olmo could be fit in time, as he has recently returned to training with the team. Marcus Rashford was absent from training recently with the club’s permission for a day off in Manchester. Eric García has earned his place in the starting lineup and is close to signing a contract extension, but the defensive depth remains thin in light of further absences.
Elche CF Form & Record Check
Elche are in 9th place in the table with 14 points, level on points with Rayo Vallecano above them and Athletic Club behind them, and have only won one of their last five league games.
Offensive problems: Elche have failed to score in four of their last five league games, with the team rarely creating any serious chances in either the first or second half.
Recent results speak volumes: the 0-1 defeat at Espanyol revealed offensive weaknesses, the goalless draw against Athletic showed defensive stability but a lack of punch, the defense collapsed in the 1-3 defeat at Alavés, while the 2-1 home win against Celta Vigo was a positive outlier.
The 4-0 cup win at third-division Los Garres should boost confidence, but this should be put into perspective as the goals were scored against a significantly weaker opponent.
Predicted Elche lineup (4-2-3-1): Goalkeeper Dituro; defense Fort, Affengruber, Pétrot, and Pedrosa; central midfield Redondo and Neto; attacking midfield Josan, Mendoza, and Boayar behind striker Silva.
There are currently no injured or suspended players, so coach Eder Sarabia has many options for changes. The lack of personnel constraints allows for targeted rotation to manage the workload.
The lineup mentioned is a prediction and will only be confirmed shortly before kickoff; experienced options such as Mir and Bigas are among those waiting on the bench.
Barcelona – Elche CF Head-to-head comparison & statistics
Barcelona has won all of its last five head-to-head matches against Elche, scoring at least three goals in each game.
Examples of their dominance: In April 2023, Barcelona won 4-0 away, in September 2022 3-0 at home; the last close game was in December 2021, when Barcelona won 3-2. Overall, at least three goals were scored in all five games and Barcelona scored in every game.
Barcelona dominated the second half in particular: in all five encounters, Barça scored at least one goal after the break, and in the last three games, more than 2.5 goals were scored in the second half.
Elche failed to pick up any points in these five games and struggled to score goals overall; since 2021, Barcelona’s superiority has continued to increase.
