Sporting Gijon Vs. Barcelona 2016 La Liga: Preview, Predictions, Possible Line-Ups, Betting Tips, Kick-Off Time, Head-to-Head, And Live Stream
Barcelona will travel to Asturias to face Sporting Gijon, after a draw against Atletico Madrid in midweek in La Liga, looking for nothing but a win.
Date, Kick-Off Time, And Venue
The game will take place on September 24, 2016, at Estadio Municipal El Molinon in Gijon. The kick-off times for various time zones are provided below.
- UK time: 3:15 p.m
- USA time: 10:15 a.m.
- Pacific time: 7:15 a.m.
- Kenyan time: 5:15 p.m.
- UAE time: 6:15 p.m.
- Indian time: 7:45 p.m.
- Malaysia time: 10:15 p.m.
Sporting Gijon: Preview and Team News
Sporting has three points from a possible nine in La Liga, and it is coming into this game with a back to back defeat against Atletico Madrid and Celta Vigo.
Sporting has fully fit squad to face the Catalans, except for Moi Gomez, who is carrying a knock. The hosts are expected to line up the same squad which faced Celta Vigo.
Barcelona: Preview and Team News
The biggest concern for Barcelona right now is the injury of their star, Lionel Messi. The Argentine has been in and out of the pitch due to niggling injuries this season, and the latest setback could sideline him for three weeks.
Arda Turan is likely to fill up the place of Messi in the starting lineup against Gijon, but it will need an extra effort from the whole team to replace the genius of Lionel.
German club Borrussia Monchengladbach tweeted a touching message that they won’t see Leo Messi in their home ground in the Champions League a week later.
It's a shame we won't get to see Leo #Messi at BORUSSIA-PARK when @FCBarcelona visit. More on our #UCL opponents: https://t.co/VHogArzy3h pic.twitter.com/bheh5D9hka
— Gladbach (@borussia_en) September 22, 2016
The message seemed to touch Leo, who himself posted in Facebook to thank the German.
https://www.facebook.com/LeoMessi/photos/a.301943896491878.81719.176063032413299/1513951405291115/?type=3
Meanwhile, new signing Samuel Umtiti is also unfit for the game due to a ligament damage, meaning once again Gerard Pique and Javier Mascherano should start in the center of defense.
Luis Enrique could also give a rest to the captain Andres Iniesta, and give a rare start to Portuguese midfielder Andre Gomez to continue rotation of the squad.
Match Facts
- Barcelona has won 11 of their last 13 away matches (in the league).
- Barcelona has won 9 of their last 10 matches against Sporting Gijon (all competitions).
- Sporting has scored at least 2 goals in their last 5 home matches (in the league).
- Barcelona has scored at least 3 goals in their last 3 matches against Sporting Gijon (all competitions).
- Both teams have seen over 2.5 goals in their last 3 matches.
The match facts were provided by Whoscored.
Starting Lineup
Sporting Gijon Predicted Line-Up (4-4-2): Cuellar; Amorebieta, Babin, Castellano, Lora; Torres, Alvarez, Rodriguez, Afif; Cop, Viguera.
Barcelona Predicted Line-Up (4-3-3): Ter Stegen; Roberto, Pique, Mascherano, Alba; Rakitic, Busquets, Iniesta; Arda, Suarez, Neymar.
TV Schedule and Channel
In the U.S., the game will be live on beIN SPORTS, beIN SPORTS en Espanyol, and fuboTV (free trial). You can watch the game at the live stream link provided at the end of this article.
Sporting Gijon vs. Barcelona: Head-to-Head (H2H)
Sporting has not tasted victory over Barcelona in last 17 games, losing 15 of them. The last time the Asturians won against Barca was in 1995, more than two decades ago.
The most recent game between these two sides was in April of 2016, in which Barcelona thrashed Gijon 6-0, thanks to a super hat-trick from Luis Suarez.
Watch the highlights and goals of the game in which Messi, Neymar, and Suarez all netted for Barcelona.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82BatR7-wtM
Sporting Gijon vs. Barcelona: Prediction
There is no any hope for Sporting Gijon to buck the trend and beat Barcelona after 21 years. Sporting has lost last two league games, conceding seven goals. Their defense is in sixes and sevens, and their attack is no good either.
Although Barcelona drew in the last game, it was against one of the best teams in Europe. Considering the quality of this Barcelona side, we expect them to break Sporting apart this time too.
Final Predicted Score: Sporting Gijon 1-4 Barcelona
Sporting Gijon vs. Barcelona: Betting Tips and Odds
- Sporting win: 10/1
- A draw: 5/1
- Barcelona win: 2/9
- Under 2.5 goals: 13/8
- Over 2.5 goals: 4/9
- Both teams to score: 4/5
- Both teams fail to score: 10/11
(The odds were provided by Paddypower.)
Sporting Gijon vs. Barcelona: Live Stream
The match can be watched live streaming online in the link here.
The link will be updated just before kickoff.
[Featured Image by Alex Caparros/Getty Images]
