Elche vs Barcelona Prediction 31.01.2026 | La Liga

Elche, led by former Barcelona assistant Eder Sarabia, have been one of the more pleasant surprises of the season, performing well above expectations and currently sitting in a respectable 11th place in the La Liga standings with 24 points to their name — a strong return for a side that only secured promotion last term.

Those results have even allowed the Valencian outfit to entertain thoughts of a potential European push, but for that ambition to become truly realistic, they will need to shake off a sluggish start to 2026. Elche have failed to win any of their opening four top-flight fixtures this year (D2 L2), most recently coming out on the wrong end of a five-goal thriller against relegation-threatened Levante.

Still, their home form this season cannot be overlooked. Los Franjiverdes have proven to be a tough nut to crack at the Estadio Martinez Valero, suffering just one defeat on their own turf while recording five wins and five draws — a clear indication that home soil remains their biggest source of points.

In terms of team news, 29-year-old midfielder Aleix Febas will serve a one-match suspension after accumulating too many yellow cards, while former Barcelona player Hector Fort remains sidelined as he continues his recovery following surgery.

Meanwhile, Barcelona head to Alicante province as the commanding leaders of La Liga, having collected 52 points from 21 fixtures to carve out a narrow yet meaningful two-point advantage over fierce rivals Real Madrid in what is shaping up to be a thrilling two-horse title race.

The mood around the Camp Nou is sky-high, with the Catalans producing a statement performance in midweek. After falling a goal behind, they roared back in emphatic fashion to crush Copenhagen 4-1, a result that propelled them into the top eight of the league phase and secured a direct route into the Champions League last 16.

While their home form has been nothing short of flawless—winning all 10 of their matches at the Spotify Camp Nou this season—Barca have been less convincing on the road. They have suffered three defeats in 11 away outings, including a 2-1 loss in their most recent trip to Real Sociedad.

Hansi Flick has few injury concerns overall, but he remains without key midfield duo Pedri and Gavi, while Andreas Christensen is also ruled out for the remainder of the season after sustaining a serious injury.