Barcelona seek to avoid three-game losing run last seen under Luis Enrique

Barcelona risk an unwelcome return to the past when they host Deportivo Alaves in La Liga on Saturday evening, with another defeat set to match a sequence last recorded during Luis Enrique’s time in charge.

Hansi Flick’s side will attempt to restore their momentum against Deportivo Alaves at Camp Nou in the 11th round of the league season. The match comes after Barcelona’s strong start was abruptly disrupted by back-to-back defeats.

Barcelona had won 11 consecutive matches in all competitions before losing 4-2 to Paris Saint-Germain in the third round of the league phase of the Champions League. They then suffered a 2-1 defeat by Real Madrid in the first El Clasico of the La Liga campaign, played in the competition’s 10th round.

A loss to Deportivo Alaves would mean Barcelona had been beaten in three successive competitive matches for the first time since the 2015-16 season, when Luis Enrique was manager.

The previous run took place between 9 and 17 April 2016, a disastrous period for the Catalan club that came almost ten and a half years ago.

Barcelona’s sequence began with a 1-0 away defeat by Real Sociedad in the 32nd round of La Liga. They then travelled to face Atletico de Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final and were beaten 2-0.

That result eliminated Barcelona from the competition. They had won the first leg 2-1 at home, but could not protect their advantage at the Estadio Metropolitano.

Three days later, Barcelona completed the unwanted run by losing 2-1 at home to Valencia in the 33rd round of the league season.

Flick’s team therefore return to Camp Nou needing a response after defeats by Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, while also trying to avoid matching a sequence associated with one of the club’s most difficult spells of the 2015-16 campaign.