FC Barcelona hosts Alavés this Saturday, November 29 (4:15 PM CEST) for matchday 15 of LaLiga, with Miguel Ángel Ortiz Arrias officiating. The Madrid-based referee was appointed by the Referees Technical Committee (CTA) alongside Jorge Figueroa Vázquez (VAR).
This season, Ortiz Arias has refereed 7 matches, one of them being Barça's away victory against Real Oviedo (1-3). That day, the Blaugrana team only committed four fouls, with no yellow cards against them. For the home team, only one player was cautioned in a match where the Catalans won with goals from Eric García, Robert Lewandowski, and Ronald Araujo.
In the 25/26 season, the 41-year-old referee, with experience in LaLiga since 21/22, has also officiated the Vitoria team on a couple of occasions, with a record of one win (3-3 against Elche in Matchday 8) and one loss on the opening day (1-0 against Betis).
How has Barça fared in matches officiated by Ortiz Arias?
In total, Miguel Ángel Ortiz has refereed 10 matches for the blaugrana team in LaLiga. Last season, the referee from Madrid officiated Barça's victory against Mallorca (1-0) on matchday 33, a game decided by a goal from Dani Olmo in the 46th minute. That day, only one player from the visiting team was cautioned.
The Catalan team's record with Ortiz Arias is positive, with 8 wins, 1 draw, and only 1 loss so far. Barça's only defeat with the 41-year-old referee occurred on matchday 23 of the 22/23 season, against Almería (1-0). Xavi Hernández's team suffered their second defeat of that season due to a goal from El Bilal Touré in the 24th minute.
The referee debuted in LaLiga in the 21/22 season. His first match at the Spotify Camp Nou took place in May 2022, with a Catalan victory against Celta (3-1) with goals from Memphis Depay and a brace from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Barça's record in matches officiated by Miguel Ortiz Arias:
- Games Played: 10
- Wins: 8
- Draws: 1
- Losses: 1
Barça goes for its fourth consecutive victory and the LaLiga lead
On Saturday, Hansi Flick's team will seek their fourth consecutive victory in the tournament, marking what could be the best Catalan streak in 25/26. Barça comes from defeating Elche (3-1), Celta (2-4), and Athletic (4-0).
A victory would return them to the top of LaLiga with a 2-point lead over Real Madrid, pending what the 'merengues' do on Sunday against Girona (21:00 CEST). There will also be a midweek fixture, for matchday 19 brought forward due to the Spanish Super Cup.
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