Las Palmas clash mere sideshow for Barca

– Barcelona’s Camp Nou will attract worldwide attention for politics rather than football on a day of huge significance for Catalonia’s future tomorrow.

Las Palmas are the visitors as Barca seek to stretch their perfect record in La Liga and Champions League this season to nine games.

However, the action on the field will play second fiddle with pro-secessionist politicians forging ahead with a planned referendum on independence for the wealthy north-eastern region of Spain despite the best attempts of the Spanish government, who have declared the vote illegal.

Outspoken central defender Gerard Pique (right) called on people to vote peacefully with tensions heightened by a crackdown on those responsible for calling and organising the logistics for the vote to take place.

“From today until Sunday, we will express ourselves peacefully,” Pique posted in a message in Catalan on his Twitter account this week.

Las Palmas will aim to puncture the atmosphere under new management, as former Valencia coach Pako Ayestaran takes charge for the first time following Manolo Marquez’s resignation after just six games in charge on Tuesday.

Should Barca win, Real Madrid will kick off later at home to Espanyol 10 points adrift of the leaders.

Real’s home form is at fault for that early gulf as they have taken just two points from a possible nine against Valencia, Levante and Real Betis at the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, the European champions looked back to their best as they beat Borussia Dormund 3-1 on Tuesday in Champions League duty thanks in large part to Gareth Bale’s return to form.

The Welshman scored a brilliant opener before teeing up the first of two for Cristiano Ronaldo.

Bale limped off with a minor calf problem in the final minutes in Dortmund, but is expected to be fit as Real look to extend an eight-game winning run.

Marcelo, Karim Benzema and Mateo Kovacic do remain sidelined by injury though.

Elsewhere, Second-placed Atletico Madrid can close to within a point of Barca with victory at Leganes today as they look to bounce back from their first defeat of the season at home to Chelsea on Wednesday. – AFP