Barcelona Set to Dominate Elche: Bold Predictions and Starting XI Revealed
The struggling Barcelona aim to get back to their winning form as they welcome newly-promoted Elche on Sunday evening.
A disappointing performance at the Santiago Bernabéu resulted in Barcelona's loss to Real Madrid in the season's opening El Clásico. Following their record-breaking sweep of all four encounters against their bitter rivals last campaign, Barcelona's defeat to Los Blancos highlighted their current difficulties.
With three losses in their previous five outings, Hansi Flick's squad needs to recover quickly. They have secured victory in their last 10 encounters with Elche and remain undefeated at home against the Alicante outfit.
However, Elche have shown promise this season. The promoted team currently sits in 9th place after beginning their return to Spain's top division with seven consecutive matches without defeat.
Here is Sports Illustrated's preview of Barcelona vs. Elche in La Liga.
What Time Does Barcelona vs. Elche Kick-Off?
Barcelona vs. Elche Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)
Current Form (All Competitions)
Barcelona | Elche |
|---|---|
Real Madrid 2–1 Barcelona - 26/10/25 | Los Garres 0–4 Elche - 29/10/25 |
Barcelona 6–1 Olympiacos - 21/10/25 | Espanyol 1–0 Elche - 25/10/25 |
Barcelona 2–1 Girona - 18/10/25 | Elche 0–0 Athletic Club - 19/10/25 |
Sevilla 4–1 Barcelona - 5/10/25 | Deportivo Alavés 3–1 Elche - 5/10/25 |
Barcelona 1–2 PSG - 1/10/25 | Elche 2–1 Celta Vigo - 28/9/25 |
How to Watch Barcelona vs. Elche on TV
Country | TV/Live Stream |
|---|---|
United States | ESPN+, ESPN App, ESPN Deportes, fuboTV |
United Kingdom | Premier Sports 1, Premier Sports Player, Prime Video |
Canada | TSN, Prime Video, TSN3 |
Mexico | Sky+, Sky Sports |
Barcelona Team News
Flick will be back on the sideline after completing his one-match ban during El Clásico. The German faces a challenging task with an extensive injury list, including Pedri, who had been the only player to start every match this season before joining the treatment room.
The creative midfielder was already set to miss the Elche fixture due to his red card in El Clásico, and Marc Casadó is expected to partner Frenkie de Jong in midfield going forward.
The Catalans may receive a boost from the potential returns of Robert Lewandowski and Dani Olmo, although their participation would likely be limited to substitute appearances.
Lamine Yamal, Marcus Rashford and Ferran Torres are set to spearhead the attack, while Ronald Araújo has a good opportunity to earn another chance at center-back following Barça's defensive struggles at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Barcelona Predicted Lineup vs. Elche
Barcelona Predicted Lineup vs. Elche (4-2-3-1): Szczęsny; Koundé, Araújo, Cubarsí, Balde; Casadó, De Jong; Yamal, López, Rashford; Torres.
Elche Team News
Elche secured victory in midweek during their Copa del Rey opener, ending a three-match winless run. The away side will probably make significant changes from the team that played on Wednesday.
Barcelona loanees Héctor Fort and Iñaki Peña will face their former club; however, only the goalkeeper is anticipated to start from the beginning.
In attack, André Silva and Rafa Mir will spearhead the offensive line, hoping to deliver Elche their maiden victory at Barcelona's home ground.
Elche Predicted Lineup vs. Barcelona
Elche Predicted Lineup vs. Barcelona (3-5-2): Peña; Chust, Bigas, Affengruber; Núñez, Aguado, Febas, Mendoza, Valera; Silva, Mir.
Barcelona vs. Elche Score Prediction
Barcelona's latest results indicate this match will be anything but straightforward for Flick's team. They must remain focused from the opening minute, or they risk extending their poor run and falling further behind Real Madrid in the table.
It's crucial for Barcelona to demonstrate their resilience and recover from last week's crushing defeat. Despite the injury concerns, the Blaugrana possess sufficient talent to secure maximum points at Montjuïc.
The performance may not be spectacular, but Flick's side will deliver a response and maintain their winning record against Elche for an 11th consecutive match.