Barça v Las Palmas: Time to continue the unbeaten run

Club football is back and there is a great game in store at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, with Barça hosting Unión Deportiva Las Palmas on Saturday (kick-off 9pm CET). This is another chance for the blaugranes to continue the positive trajectory of recent weeks and apply pressure to Real Madrid, who play Athletic Club on Sunday. Coach Xavi Hernández has managed to get his side into cruise control in the league during this decisive part of the season, with six wins and two draws in the last eight matchdays. The good run contrasts with their opponents, who have gone five games without a win, with their only points coming from two draws.

An outstanding effort from a promoted side

However, the Canary Islanders are having a notable season for a newly promoted side. A great few months at the start of the season saw Las Palmas sit in mid table with aspirations of Europe. As such, the current poor run hasn't overly affected a team comfortably in eleventh place, having virtually fulfilled the aim of staying up.

The perfect blend of Barça DNA with Canary Island talent

All this came with very recognisable, purposeful football that aims to control games, plus the perfect blend of Barça DNA and Canary Island football, which continues to produce some real talent as it has done over the years. The blaugrana footprint is clear to see, starting with coach Francesc Xavier García Pimienta, who is steeped in Barça DNA, allied with a good spread of former Club players like Mika Mármol at the heart of the defence or the forwards Marc Cardona, Sandro Ramírez and Munir el Haddadi. Full-back Julián Araujo is also there on loan from Barça, but this means he is also ineligible for this game.

Behind them all is one of the keepers of the season in Álvaro Valles, who is ably assisted by powerful defenders like Saúl Coco and Sergi Cardona. Their attractive play goes through one of the standout performers in the league in Kirian Rodríguez and very talented wingers such as Alberto Moleiro. So, there are many arguments to say that things won't be easy, evidenced by the match in the Canary Islands, the first of 2024, when Barça completed a 1-2 comeback in the final minutes.

Full throttle before the Champions League returns

This is the final game for the blaugranes before the Champions League quarter-final first leg in Paris, as the LaLiga is put on hold after the Las Palmas game due to the Copa del Rey final. As such, and as Xavi Hernández explained, this isn't a game for rotating players given there are 10 days rest afterwards, and they will go full throttle to win for the FC Barcelona fans.