Is Barcelona’s “honeymoon” over? After a brilliant 4-0 victory over Real Madrid in El Clásico in Madrid and a triumph in the city derby against Espanyol (3-1), Hansi Flick’s team stumbled in their last two away matches. They suffered a 1-0 defeat in the Basque Country against Real Sociedad and then let a win slip away in Galicia against Celta Vigo, conceding two late goals to draw 2-2. These slip-ups were capitalized on by the Madrid giants, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, who have closed the gap on the league leaders. It now looks like we’re set for an exciting three-way race for the title in the Pyrenees.🇵🇱 Robert Lewandowski under Hansi Flick:👕 90 games⚽️ 105 goals🎯 25 assists 😳🔥 pic.twitter.com/5paAm53GO4— Sholy Nation Sports (@Sholynationsp) November 29, 2024 Today at Montjuïc the Catalans will have extra motivation as the club celebrates its 125th anniversary. A victory against Las Palmas is crucial for a harmonious celebration, especially as Barcelona continues to play away from their iconic Nou Camp, which is undergoing renovations. Polish striker Robert Lewandowski, now in his third season with Barça, has scored against 20 of the 22 teams he’s faced in La Liga. The only two exceptions are Almería (now relegated to the Segunda Division) and Las Palmas, against whom he failed to score last season. Barça won both encounters against the Canary Islands team in the previous La Liga campaign—2-1 with goals from Ferran Torres and İlkay Gündoğan, and 1-0 thanks to Raphinha—but Lewandowski didn’t find the back of the net. This season, the Polish goal-machine has already netted 15 goals in 14 league matches.Was there a doubt? Yamal wins the Golden Boy award!Hansi Flick, in charge for this milestone match, has announced there will be no squad rotation and intends to field the strongest lineup in honor of the club’s 125-year history. There’s good news for the German coach as Ferran Torres has returned from injury. However, Ansu Fati, Ronald Araújo, Marc-André ter Stegen, Marc Bernal, and Andreas Christensen remain sidelined, while Marc Casadó is suspended after his red card against Celta Vigo last week. Supporting Lewandowski in attack will be Raphinha on the wing and Dani Olmo in the playmaker role. Barcelona boasts a perfect home record this season in La Liga, with five wins and an impressive 18 goals scored at Montjuïc. Meanwhile, Las Palmas sits just above the relegation zone, making their fight for survival a tough one. Matching up against the league leaders will be a formidable challenge for the Canary Islanders.LA LIGA – MATCHDAY 15Friday Mallorca – Valencia 2-1 (1-1)/Larin 45+3, Prats 81 – Rioja 32 pen/Saturday16.00: (1.17) Barcelona (8.00) Las Palmas (14.0)18.15: (1.85) Alaves (3.50) Leganes (5.10)20.30: (3.30) Espanyol (3.45) Celta (2.30)23.00: (6.30) Valladolid (4.05) Atl.Madrid (1.55)Sunday 16.00: (1.95) Villareal (3.60) Girona (4.20)18.15: (1.40) Real Madrid (4.40) Getafe (9.00)20.30: (2.90) Rayo Vallecano (3.00) Ath.Bilbao (2.70)23.00: (1.80) Sociedad (3.60) Betis (5.10)Monday 23.00: (2.15) Sevilla (3.30) Osasuna (3.50)***odds are subject to change***
