Luis Enrique and his Barcelona side will be relishing the chance to get right back in La Liga's title race after their impressive midweek Champions League performance, and struggling Granada may just offer them the ideal chance to do just that.

"There is a formula to stop Messi"

- Jean-Sylvain Babin

On the face of it, Granada do not seem to have much chance of overcoming Enrique's men, but defender Jean-Sylvain Babin believes that Málaga's 1-0 win over Barcelona last weekend has shown teams the blueprint for success, and thus Abel Resino's Granada will go into the game on Saturday full of optimism. "There is a formula to stop (Lionel) Messi,'' Babin said on La Liga television. "If you defend very well, staying close between the lines, and then quickly counter-attacking and keeping the ball.'' Confident words, perhaps, but the idea that there is a "formula" to stop Barcelona and in particular their talisman Messi, seems quite a ludicrous suggestion.

The reality becomes even more starker when you look at Granada's current La Liga position. Resino's side are second-bottom of the table, four points adrift of Elche in 17th, with relegation an ever-increasing possibility. The club have been boosted, however, by midfielder Fran Rico signing a new, five-year contract. The likelihood of Granada celebrating this with three points on Saturday however, looks slim.

For Enrique's Barcelona, the ideal medicine for the bitter taste of defeat left by Málaga's 1-0 win last weekend, was a brutal, sublime performance against Manchester City in midweek. If not for Lionel Messi's penalty miss - and the subsequent rebound - in the final moments of the game, the tie would practically be over. Indeed, some would argue it still is, as Barcelona take a 2-1 lead to the Camp Nou for the second leg - a lead that City will struggle to overcome.

Domestically, however, Barcelona will be looking to get back on track after their defeat to Málaga allowed their fierce Spanish rivals Real Madrid to open up a four-point lead atop La Liga, after their 2-0 victory over Elche. It is all to play for in the race for the title with Atlético Madrid also breathing down their rivals' backs, and Enrique knows his side can't take chances. Expect a ruthless Barcelona to arrive at the Estadio Nuevo Los Cármenes on Saturday, ready to continue the momentum built up with their midweek performance.

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Ben Johnson
Ben; 21; author and journalist.