Barcelona host city rivals, Espanyol on Sunday and will be looking to extend their run of five successive La Liga Derbi Barceloni victories.
Barcelona find themselves third in La Liga after Real and Atletico won on Saturday. Barca are currently five points behind Real Madrid and Luis Enrique will know that they cannot afford to fall further behind with Carlo Ancelotti's men sweeping all before them at the moment.
Strangely, Barcelona's success this season has been built on La Liga's best defensive record having conceded just six in thirteen games. They are also La Liga's second highest scorers behind Real and Lionel Messi and Neymar's partnership has come on leaps and bounds this year. They have combined for twenty-one goals and ten assists but Luis Enrique will be growing concerned that Luis Suarez is yet to score his first goal in the league although he does have four assists. A goal in the derby would be a great way for Suarez to make his mark in La Liga and he will be concerned that the goal has so far alluded him.
Barca look to be at full strength with only Thomas Vermaelen listed as doubtful. They play Paris St Germain on Wednesday in a game they need to win if they want to finish first in their Champions League group. Luis Enrique will probably prioritise this game with Real so far ahead but he will be tempted to rest some players to help beat PSG to avoid the likes of Chelsea and Bayern Munich in the last sixteen.
Espanyol are twelfth in La Liga with fourteen points from their thirteen games. Los Periquitos are yet to win away from home in the league and have picked up just two points from six away games in La Liga. They were on a bad run having gone five games without a win before beating Levante last weekend. The win over Levante was just their third win of the season and Espanyol will have to improve if they want to stay clear of a relegation battle.
Espanyol will be without Paco Montanes who is injured and Lucas Vazquez and Salva Sevilla will start on the wings. Espanyol could give a start to Eric Bailly at centre back. Bailly is a twenty year old Ivorian who has made his mark when given a chance by Sergio Gonzalez and looks likely to continue in the team after impressing last week.
Barcelona will be expected to win and rightly so considering the difference in wage bills and quality of the squads but Espanyol will make things as difficult as possible for their neighbours and if they can defend well they may just get a result.
Probable Lineups
Barcelona - Bravo; Alves, Pique, Mathieu, Alba; Rakitic, Busquets, Xavi; Suarez, Messi, Neymar.
Espanyol - Casilla; Arbilla, Bailly, Colotto, Fuentes; Vazquez, Sanchez, Canas, Sevilla; Caicedo, Garcia.