Opposing objectives for Almería and Barça

Almería take on FC Barcelona at home this Saturday (18:00 local time) with one clear objective, to record its first win of the season against a blaugrana outfit that has won all its matches so far.

Almería will be hoping to improve on its disappointing start to the season, where the team has only recorded three draws and three defeats, a string of results that sees them one place above rock-bottom Rayo Vallecano, but on the same points. History doesn’t favour the Andalusian side though, as it has never managed to beat Barcelona in any of the teams’ previous six league encounters. “We are looking forward to the game. We are up against the best team in the world, and to have a chance they need to have a bad day”, the Almería manager, Francisco Rodríguez, noted in his Friday press conference.

The league leaders, on the other hand, could record their best ever start to a league campaign by beating Almería, making it seven wins out of seven. In order to do so Tata Martino’s men will be without two key members of their defence, Jordi Alba and Javier Mascherano, who are both out injured. “Almería has lost a lot of points towards the end of games. They have a lot of tricky players, especially the four in attack. Rodri and Soriano are always around the opposing box. All our opponents require us to pay full attention”, the Argentine manager declared.