Barcelona continue their pre-season tour with another clash against a European giant this week as they lock horns with Mikel Arteta’s impressive Arsenal side in an intriguing fixture at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
Arsenal vs Barcelona Preview
Arsenal finished in second place in the Premier League standings last season and have been in impressive form over the past year. The Gunners slumped to a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Manchester United in their previous game and will need to bounce back this week.
Barcelona, on the other hand, finished at the top of the La Liga standings last season and have stepped up to the plate under Xavi so far. The Catalan outfit eased past Vissel Kobe by a 2-0 scoreline in a friendly match last month and will be confident ahead of this fixture.
Arsenal vs Barcelona Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- Barcelona have an excellent record against Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League and have won six out of the nine matches played between the two teams, as opposed to Arsenal’s one victory.
- Arsenal scored an impressive 88 goals from their 38 matches in the Premier League last season – the second-most prolific team in the competition after champions Manchester City.
- Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard were Arsenal’s most prolific players in the 2022-23 edition of the Premier League and scored 15 goals apiece in the competition.
- Barcelona were defensively brilliant in La Liga last season and conceded only 20 goals in their 38 league games.
- Arsenal have managed to secure qualification for the UEFA Champions League this season and have finished in the top four of the Premier League table for the first time since the 2015-16 season.
Arsenal vs Barcelona Prediction
Arsenal have made immense progress under Mikel Arteta but missed out on the Premier League title last season. The likes of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli have been impressive in recent months and will look to make their mark this week.
Barcelona have also moved in the right direction under Xavi and won the La Liga title this season. The Catalans are a buoyant force at the moment and hold a slight upper hand going into this game.
Prediction: Arsenal 2-3 Barcelona
Arsenal vs Barcelona Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result – Barcelona to win
Tip 2: Game to have over 2.5 goals – Yes
Tip 3: Barcelona to score first – Yes
Tip 4: Bukayo Saka to score – Yes