Arsenal vs Barcelona
Club Friendlies
Date: 27 July 2023, Thursday
Kick-off at 03:30 UK / 04:30 CET
Venue: SoFi Stadium (Inglewood).
Today, Barcelona and Arsenal will be facing off in a pre-season match in Los Angeles.
Due to a sickness bug that affected their camp, the Spanish giants were forced to cancel their match against Juventus last week. This is their first match of the summer.
Despite being more prepared for the upcoming season, Arsenal lost to Manchester United in a pre-season match.
New recruits Jurrien Timber, Kai Havertz, and Declan Rice were given ample time to adjust to their new surroundings during their tour of the US, which got underway with a win over the All-Stars of Major League Soccer.
With only one friendly match left before the Community Shield, Barcelona will be giving the North London club a stern test.
Arsenal vs Barcelona Head to head :
- In the history of the rivalry, Barcelona have been far more successful than the Gunners, winning six, losing none, and drawing one of their eight encounters.
- Four years ago, Barcelona won the Joan Gamper Trophy with a 2-1 victory over the London club.
- Over 2.5 goals scored per match was the norm in seven of the eight meetings between the two clubs.
Arsenal vs Barcelona Prediction :
Due to the stomach virus affecting the Barcelona players, we think that the Gunners are worthy of backing in Wednesday’s match.
We like the odds of 1.75 for the Over 2.5 goals market as both the teams are capable of scoring at will. This is also due to the exhibition nature of the game.
Arsenal vs Barcelona team news
The only injury concerns for the Gunners are Mohamed Elneny and Oleksandr Zinchenko. The former missed most of last season due to a hamstring injury, while the latter has returned to training.
In each of the club’s pre-season games, Mikel Arteta preferred a strong starting line-up. It will be interesting, however, to see if he continues with Eddie Nketiah up front.
The team news of Barcelona will mainly be determined by the individuals who have recovered from their sickness.
Xavi oversaw a full squad during a training session, with the exception of Inigo Martinez, who is out with an injury. There could also be opportunities for new recruits Oriol Romeu and Ilkay Gundogan.
Arsenal vs Barcelona starting lineup :
Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Ramsdale; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Tierney; Odegaard, Rice, Havertz; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli
Barcelona possible starting lineup:
Ter Stegen; Roberto, Christensen, Martinez, Alonso; Gundogan, Kessie, Pedri; Raphinha, Lewandowski, Fati
