#la-liga

#la-liga

Barcelona will look to avoid the same fate that befell Real Madrid when they visit Albacete in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey on Tuesday. The Segunda Division side beat Madrid 3-2 at home in the previous round and have claimed maximum points from their three league games since. Barcelona have no excuse for not taking their hosts seriously and it is likely Hansi Flick will field a strong side.

Ferran Torres had a mixed outing when Barcelona took on Elche last night. He scored the team's second goal against Eder Sarabia's men, but struggled to convert at least four other chances during his time on the field. On a larger level, however, Torres has been good for Barcelona this campaign and has given Hansi Flick enough reason to see him as a starting No. 9.

"As a Barcelona fan, I hope Arbeloa fails," Arshavin said, bluntly and without hesitation.

I see [Gavi] almost every day. He's training and improving a lot. The most important thing for him is to stay calm and take it one step at a time. There's no need to rush. He has a long career ahead of him, and there's no need to hurry. If he comes back in February, we'll be happy, but for me, the important thing is that he comes back healthy.

As reported by Diario SPORT, the Blaugrana technical secretariat had monitored Moleiro closely, identifying him as a talent that fit the club's DNA perfectly. But just as the stars seemed aligned for the two Canary Islanders to reunite in Catalonia, reality intervened. Barcelona's delicate financial situation at the time made the operation unfeasible, and the deal collapsed before it could be finalised.

Getafe initially cemented their spot as one of Spain's ultimate surprise packages. However, despite getting Friday's showdown in Madrid still hanging onto their spot in the top-half of the La Liga standings, Jose Bordalas' men are seeking a much-welcomed boost this weekend. Last seen getting the New Year underway with a 1-1 stalemate against local rivals Rayo Vallecano, the Blues have failed to win any of their previous five appearances across all competitions.

Two late goals from Olmo and Lewandowski clinch victory in a tight, intense encounter in which Joan García made several game-saving interventions.

"We didn't deserve it, I will be honest. I have to say thank you to Joan García because he played unbelievable. He's one of the best goalkeepers in the world. He's been fantastic. I think he'll never forget what he experienced here. Manolo gave him the confidence to play. Now he's with us and he's had an incredible performance. He's having a great season. He was one of the key players in the victory."

The home of Espanyol in Cornellà is the site of the first La Liga game of 2026 for the hosts and Barcelona, who meet in one of the most anticipated Catalan derbies in recent memory to kick off the new year in style. Both teams are in red-hot form in the league, and Espanyol believe this is their best chance to finally conquer their local enemies while Barça are looking for a ninth consecutive league win to maintain their healthy advantage at the top of the table.