Minnows Eibar next on Barca’s radar

MADRID: European champions Barcelona can take another step closer to a sixth La Liga title in eight years when they travel to the humble surroundings of Eibar’s 6,000 capacity Ipurua on Sunday.

Barca are on a record 35-game unbeaten streak stretching back to October to put them well on course to repeat the treble of league, Cup and Champions League they won last season. The Catalans hold an eight-point lead over Atletico Madrid with eternal rivals Real Madrid a further four points back in third with just 11 games of the league season to go.

Despite Barca’s incredible run, they had been far from their best in recent weeks until Lionel Messi scored his 35th hat-trick for the club in a 5-1 rout of nine-man Rayo Vallecano on Thursday.

Barca will be shorn of one of their star attacking triumvirate in the Basque country as Neymar is suspended.

But with a first free midweek since December to come, Enrique is unlikely to waver too much from his strongest side with full-backs Jordi Alba and Dani Alves set to return.

Eibar have punched well above their weight in just their second ever season in the top-flight to sit eighth in the table.

However, they have lost six of their last seven games.

Real Madrid’s realistic title hopes are all but over, but Zinedine Zidane’s men will be keen to make amends for defeat to Atletico in the Madrid derby last weekend when they host Celta Vigo at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Cristiano Ronaldo eased the backlash against his comments after the derby pinning the blame on his teammates for Madrid’s poor season to date with a goal and an assist in Real’s 3-1 win at Levante in midweek.

And Zidane should have a far stronger squad to choose from for the visit of high-flying Celta as captain Sergio Ramos and Dani Carvajal return from suspension, whilst Gareth Bale, Luka Modric and Marcelo are in contention after varying spells on the sidelines due to injury. — AFP