Watch the Barcelona and Almeria match in the Spanish League

Barcelona Barcelona is gearing up to face Almería in the 36th round of La Liga at the Mediterranean Games Stadium. Barcelona enters this match after a season full of challenges, aiming for a victory to secure three points, ensuring second place in La Liga after losing all possible titles this season.

Match Details

- Date: Thursday, May 15, 2024

- Time: 8:30 PM UK time

Broadcast Information

- The match will be broadcast on beIN Sports, the exclusive broadcaster of La Liga in the Middle East.

Team Standings

- Barcelona: Second in the La Liga table with 76 points, 14 points behind Real Madrid, who have secured the title.

- **Almería Last place in the standings with 17 points, confirmed to be relegated to the second division.

Expected Line-up for Barcelona

Coach Xavi Hernandez is expected to start with the following line-up:

- Goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen

- Defense: João Cancelo, Iñigo Martínez, Pau Cubarsi, Jules Kounde

- Midfield: Ilkay Gündogan, Fermín López, Andreas Christensen

- Attack: Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal

Barcelona's Aspirations

Barcelona aims to secure second place and ensure participation in the Spanish Super Cup next season. Additionally, they seek to improve their offensive statistics, having scored 103 goals in 50 matches this season. Robert Lewandowski is the team's top scorer, despite a drop in his numbers this season with 24 goals compared to 33 last season.

Almería's Aspirations

For Almería, despite their confirmed relegation, the team hopes to deliver a commendable performance against the Catalan giants and achieve a positive result in this challenging match.

Xavi's Admission

In a shocking statement to Barcelona fans, coach Xavi Hernandez acknowledged the harsh reality the club faces, particularly concerning their financial crisis. This comes as their arch-rivals Real Madrid are close to signing Kylian Mbappe from Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer at the start of the upcoming summer transfer window after his contract with PSG expires.

Barcelona's Financial Struggles

Barcelona is dealing with a severe financial crisis, necessitating the sale of several players to comply with financial fair play regulations. The club desperately needs to return to the (1:1) rule, balancing revenues and expenses, requiring decisive decisions regarding the team’s roster.

Impact on Performance

The financial crisis has significantly hindered Barcelona's ability to sign new players last summer, adversely affecting the team’s performance. The inability to acquire a pivotal midfielder had a substantial impact on the team's style of play, resulting in a trophy-less season.

Potential Mbappe Transfer

Meanwhile, Real Madrid is expected to announce the signing of Kylian Mbappe on a free transfer, posing an additional challenge for Barcelona amidst their financial woes. Mbappe’s transfer could greatly strengthen Real Madrid, while Barcelona struggles to bolster its squad with the same vigor.

Future Prospects

Given these challenges, Barcelona must seek innovative solutions to overcome the financial crisis and improve the team’s situation. This might involve selling non-essential players and investing the proceeds in strengthening necessary positions. The management needs to work diligently to settle financial issues and avoid further crises.

Barcelona now stands at a crossroads, and the fans are cautiously awaiting the next steps by the management and the coaching staff to overcome this crisis and achieve the stability needed to compete for titles in the coming seasons.