Barcelona vs Cadiz

Barcelona’s pursuit of a first La Liga title since 2018/19 faces another seemingly winnable task as they face off against perennial relegation candidates Cadiz at the Spotify Camp Nou.

Fatigue could be catching up with Barcelona players following an intense 2-2 home draw against Manchester United in midweek Europa League action, but there’s a margin for error. Last weekend’s 1-0 win at Villarreal took Barca’s outrageous unbeaten streak in La Liga to 11 matches (W10, D1), including six wins in a row in the lead-up to this fixture. Another triumph would see the ‘Blaugrana’ put together seven straight top-flight victories for the second time under current boss Xavi Hernandez, yet there’s a catch. Runaway La Liga leaders have claimed just one win in their last five league encounters against Cadiz (D2, L2), going winless in back-to-back H2Hs at Camp Nou (D1, L1). One goal could be enough to buck that trend, with Barcelona conceding just once in ten home league outings this season (W8, D2).

On the other hand, winter arrivals Sergio Guardiola and Gonzalo Escalante were on the scoresheet as Cadiz ousted Girona 2-0 at home last weekend, steering two points off the drop zone. However, the visitors’ problems with inconsistent performances have seen them alternate between winning (2) and losing (2) in their last four league games. Both those defeats came on the road, meaning ‘El Submarino Amarillo’ could lose three consecutive away matches in the top-flight for the first time since 2006. Conceding first will likely lead to that outcome, considering Sergio Gonzalez’s men have lost all six La Liga fixtures on the road after shipping the opening goal in 2022/23.