La Liga preview and odds: Barcelona vs Sporting Gijon

Published on: 22/04/2016

La Liga preview and odds: Barcelona vs Sporting Gijon

April 23, 2016 20:30pm - Camp Nou

La Liga

Barcelona will be looking to build on Wednesday night`s demolition job in Galicia by overcoming the challenge of plucky Sporting Gijon at the Camp Nou on Saturday.

Barca back to devastating best

After three-straight defeats that blew the title race wide open, Barcelona got back to winning ways in the most impressive style with an 8-0 hammering of Deportivo La Coruna on Wednesday night. Luis Suarez was the star of the show with four goals and three assists, while Messi and Neymar also got on the score sheet.

Barca`s return to form may have come just at the right time, as they still hold the advantage in the title race thanks to their head-to-head record against Atletico Madrid. If they win all their remaining games, they will be champion.

Recent good run of form may not be enough for Sporting

A run of five games featuring two wins, two draws and just one defeat has given Sporting Gijon a huge boost in the race for La Liga survival. However, the Asturians are still languishing in the bottom-three with just four games left to play.

The young team has struggled to score goals away from home this season, having managed just five on their last 13 games on the road. They come into this fixture on a high after an impressive 2-1 win at home to Sevilla.

Team news

Luis Enrique will have to cope without Thomas Vermaelen, Jeremy Mathieu and Sandro Ramirez, while Arda Turan is a doubt.

Meanwhile, Canella, Alex Menendez and Bernardo Espinosa are all out of action for Abelardos men.

Recent form (League)

Barcelona: WLLLD

Sporting Gijon: WDLDW

Betting odds and tips

With Barca back to their devastating best, it is hard to see the visitors taking anything from this game. However, with massive prices available, a small bet against the home side may be tempting.

You can back the Sporting/Draw Double Chance at 14/1 with Bet365.

By Neil Morris

Published on: 22/04/2016

Any odds displayed within this preview were correct at the time of publishing (22/04/2016 08:09:37) but are subject to change.