Unionistas de Salamanca vs Barcelona - Copa del Rey: TV channel, team news, lineups and prediction
- Barcelona travel to third-tier side Unionistas de Salamanca in the Copa del Rey
- Xavi's side are under pressure following some disappointing performances
- La Liga champions were hammered 4-1 by Real Madrid in Supercopa final last time out
Barcelona have the perfect opportunity to bounce back from their Supercopa de Espana final defeat to Real Madrid when they face Unionistas de Salamanca in the Copa del Rey.
The La Liga champions fell to a humbling 4-1 defeat to their rivals from the Spanish capital in Saudi Arabia last Sunday, with pressure continuing to mount on manager Xavi. Having made a pretty poor defence of their league title so far, perhaps the Catalan club can enjoy greater success in Spain's main cup competition.
Third-division Unionistas should present a straightforward enough tie in the last 16, though the Spanish minnows did knock Villarreal out of the competition by beating the La Liga side on penalties in a dramatic encounter.
Here's all you need to know about Barca's trip to Unionistas on Thursday.
What time does Unionistas de Salamanca vs Barcelona kick off?
- Location: Salamanca, Spain
- Stadium: Reina Sofia Municipal Stadium
- Date: Thursday 18 January
- Kick-off Time: 18:30 GMT / 13:30 ET / 10:30 PT
- Referee: Francisco Jose Hernandez Maeso
- VAR: Eduardo Prieto
Unionistas de Salamanca vs Barcelona H2H record (Last Five Games)
- Unionistas de Salamanca: 2 wins
- Barcelona: 2 wins
- Draws: 1
- Last meeting: Unionistas de Salamanca 1-4 Barcelona (La Liga) - 07/03/1999
Current form (all competitions)
- Unionistas de Salamanca: WWWDL
- Barcelona: LWWWL
How to watch Unionistas de Salamanca vs Barcelona on TV and live stream
Country | TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
United Kingdom | Not available |
United States | ESPN+ |
Canada | Not available |
Unionistas de Salamanca team news
Unionistas boss Dani Ponz is unlikely to make too many alterations from the side that managed to defeat 2020/21 Europa League winners Villarreal, although dealing with Barca will be a much sterner test.
Javi Villar will want to impress in midfield given he is currently at Unionistas on loan from Real Madrid Castilla, while Alfred Planas may be given a start after he scored the late equaliser against Villarreal in the previous round.
Unionistas de Salamanca predicted lineup vs Barcelona
Unionistas de Salamanca predicted lineup (4-4-2): Martinez; Camus, Mayor, Gimenez, Jimenez; Gomez, Nespral, Villar, Planas; Slavy, Losada.
Barcelona team news
While Xavi is likely to rotate some of his senior stars for the trip to Salamanca, he also has a long list of missing players to deal with. Two of those who will be absent are young Lamine Yamal and Ronald Araujo, with both serving suspensions.
Across the backline, Barca will be without Marcos Alonso, Inigo Martinez and Joao Cancelo, the latter the only player with a slim chance of featuring. Goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen is still sidelined with a back injury, so Inaki Pena will cover for the German.
Further up the pitch, Gavi is obviously still missing, the Spaniard out for the rest of the season as a bare minimum. Raphinha is also absent for Xavi with a hamstring problem.
Barcelona predicted lineup vs Unionistas de Salamanca
Barcelona predicted lineup (4-3-3): Pena; Roberto, Kounde, Christensen, Balde; Fermin, Romeu, De Jong; Torres, Roque, Felix.
Unionistas de Salamanca vs Barcelona score prediction
Regardless of Barca's underwhelming recent displays, Xavi's men should breeze to victory against Unionistas. The third-division outfit are only 13th in the Primera Federacion, with their win against Villarreal on penalties an outstanding underdog tale.
Even Barca's second team should have no problems dispatching Unionistas, with Xavi unlikely to rest too many players as this cup clash could provide a much-needed confidence boost for his side.
Prediction: Unionistas de Salamanca 0-3 Barcelona
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