Barca begin home stretch to La Liga title

By Daily Sports on March 9, 2018

After seeing off their nearest challengers, Barcelona begin the home straight towards a 25th La Liga title away at bottom club Malaga on Saturday.

Barca’s 1-0 win over second-placed Atletico Madrid at the Nou Camp last week stretched their lead at the league’s summit to eight points as well as securing a superior head-to-head record over their rivals.

They now need eight wins and a draw from their remaining 11 fixtures to reclaim the title.

Malaga were the last team to beat Barca in the league, delivering the final bullet to their title aspirations in April last year with a 2-0 win in which Brazil’s Neymar was dismissed for the Catalans.

The Andalusian side have undergone vast changes since then, however.

Only six players who started that game remain at the club while coach Michel has also departed. He was sacked in January in a bid to revive the team’s fortunes but his successor Jose Gonzalez has not managed to win a game and has lost six in a row.

They are rock bottom with 13 points, eight adrift of the safety zone and look destined for a return to Spain’s second tier for the first time in a decade.

By contrast, Ernesto Valverde's Barca side are on an unbeaten run of 34 league games and have Real Sociedad's Liga record of 38 without defeat in their sights.

They will have one eye, however, on their Champions League last-16 second leg with Chelsea on Wednesday, with the tie finely balanced at 1-1.

They will be without right back Nelson Semedo and midfielders Denis Suarez and Andres Iniesta, with the latter battling a hamstring problem to be fit in time to play against Chelsea.

Atletico coach Diego Simeone said after the defeat at the Nou Camp that he could not envisage Barca throwing away their lead at the top of the standings, but his side will aim to keep up their faint hopes of staying in the title race when they host Celta Vigo on Sunday.

Champions Real Madrid are 15 points behind Barca and seven back from Atletico but their confidence should be high after sealing their place in the Champions League quarterfinals by seeing off Paris St Germain 5-2 on aggregate.

Zinedine Zidane’s side visit tiny Eibar, who have the smallest ground in the league but have punched above their weight to climb into eighth in the standings, one point outside the European places. © Reuters

•Photo shows Barca line-up

Source Daily Sports

Posted March 9, 2018


 

You may also like...
Nigeria Ace Boxer, Okorodudu Technically Knock Down By...

We will beat G’Bissau for Nigerians — Osimhen...

Zappacosta wants Conte to stay as Chelsea manager...

Chiellini Signs New Juventus Deal

Rivers edge Insurance in thrilling Naija Super 8...

Mourinho Admits He Was In The Wrong Over...

 

Latest News NOC Women's Commission holds South West Seminar I will fight anyone, says Itauma after Whyte knockout West Africa Deaf football, athletics champs ignite Abuja Assar overcomes Aruna in Europe Smash thriller Itauma battles Whyte in Riyadh D’Tigers thrash defending champions Tunisia Nnadozie gets hero’s welcome at Brighton AFN releases contingent for CAA Senior Athletics Championships Abuja to host Basketball All-Star weekend Nezianya, NOC PRO Joins Prestigious Agbalanze Society Of Onitsha D’Tigress makes history as only African team in FIBA top 10 New NPFL season to end May 2026

 

Most Read Rangers International going, going . . . (55,675 views) Amaju Pinnick: A cat with nine lives (46,853 views) Second Term: Amaju Pinnick, Other NFF Heavyweights Home to Roost •How Pinnick Broke the Jinx (44,848 views) Current issues in Nigerian sports: Matters arising (44,433 views) Missing $150,000 IAAF Grant: Solomon Dalung’s Hide and Seek game (44,426 views) Sports Development: Zenith Bank on the zenith (44,419 views) Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s solid footprints, commitment to sports development in Kano State (44,239 views) NFF Presidency: Pinnick, Maigari, Ogunjobi, Okoye in Battle for Supremacy (43,787 views) Olopade, BET9A wave of revolution in NNL (42,890 views) Commonwealth Games 2018: Shame of Muhammadu Buhari, Solomon Dalung (41,499 views) Ibrahimovic’s Man U exit: Whose decision is it? And in whose interest? (39,933 views) John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call! (39,363 views)

 

Phone numbers

Tel: +234(0)8066020976
+234(0)8055068145
+234(0)7013416146
+234(0)8094272884

Email addresses

info@dailysportsng.com
support@dailysportsng.com
publisher@dailysportsng.com

Office address

No 3, Adetoun Close, Off College Road, Ogba, Ikeja Lagos.
Website: www.dailysportsng.com

Social Media