Almeria - Barcelona predictions and free betting tips [16/05/2024]

In the 36th round of the Spanish La Liga, Almería will face Barcelona on Thursday, 16 May. The Catalans sit in second place in the league table, vying with Girona for the silver medals, while the hosts languish at the bottom, having long lost their chances of salvation.

Almería

Almería will return to the Segunda just two years after being promoted to the top division, having been firmly rooted at the 20th place with only 17 points. This was expected as the hosts managed only two victories from the start of the campaign. After a surprising 1-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano last weekend, they narrowly lost to Betis (3-2): Leo Baptistao responded to Pablo Fornals and Isco's first-half goals, and Luca Romero scored in the second half. During the current campaign, Almería have conceded 70 goals in La Liga, the worst record in the league. Additionally, Pepe Mel's side have only gathered eight points from 17 home games (a league-low), scoring 16 goals and conceding 33. Surprisingly, "La Unión" managed to keep two clean sheets this spring. Almería will be without Radovanovic (injury), but centre-back César Montes returns from suspension, unlike Ramazani (3 goals, 5 assists), who still has two more games to serve due to disciplinary actions. Bright spots for Almería this season include Sergio Arribas with 6 goals, Leo Baptistao (also 6 goals), and Colombian striker Luis Suárez (4). César Montes will partner with Chumi in central defence, while Edgar and Robertone will anchor the midfield.

Barcelona

Barcelona reclaimed second place in the league table on Monday evening by defeating Real Sociedad (2-0) at home and capitalising on Girona's slip-up against Alavés (2-2). Lamine Yamal put the Blaugrana ahead in the first half, and Raphinha sealed the win with a late penalty. The Catalans aimed higher this season, having lost their national title, hampered by two defeats in two Clasicos against Real Madrid. Their goal now is to finish second and rebuild their squad over the summer to reclaim the top spot. Barcelona also exited the Champions League at the quarter-final stage to PSG (6-4 on aggregate). Worth noting is that on the road, the visitors have the second-best record in La Liga after Real Madrid (33 points from 17 away fixtures, scoring 32 and conceding 22). On Thursday, Barça will be without left-back Balde (resumed training with the main group on Tuesday) and two defensive midfielders Frenkie de Jong and Gavi. Also, another midfielder, İlkay Gündoğan (5 goals, 8 assists), is suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards. Youngster Yamal, who scored his 5th La Liga goal against Real Sociedad (along with 4 assists), is likely to start alongside Brazilian Raphinha and Polish goal machine Robert Lewandowski (17 goals, 8 assists). Kubarsi and Martínez will pair up in central defence, with Koundé and Cancelo occupying the flanks

Head-to-Head

In the first round, Barcelona triumphed with a 3-2 victory; however, last season, Almería pulled off a sensational home win against the Catalans (1-0).

Prediction: Almería vs Barcelona

Having regained second place in the league on Monday evening after defeating Real Sociedad, Barcelona have every chance to secure silver medals following Girona's slip-up the night before against Villarreal. Almería is the absolute worst team in La Liga this season and has long lost all chances of survival. It is hard to see what the hosts can offer against the more illustrious opponent, hence backing an away win with a -1 handicap.