Barcelona take on Real Betis at the Spotify Camp Nou on Saturday, hoping to consolidate their 11-point lead at the top of the La Liga table.
Despite losing to Rayo Vallecano, they are on course to take their 27th La Liga crown.
The defeat did not mean much as Real Madrid also dropped points against Girona, with Taty Castellanos scoring a record four goals against the 14-time Champions League winners.
Barcelona will want to get their season back on track after the slip-up at Estadio de Vallecas and clinch the title early.
However, Betis will not make it easy as they are clinging to fifth place, with Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao in hot pursuit.
The Andalusians held high-flying Real Sociedad in their last game and will be hoping for another decent outing in Catalonia.
Their previous record against Barcelona makes grim reading for Betis. They have won only twice in their last 20 matches against the Catalans.
Barca have won four out of the past five games against Betis and will likely fancy themselves to win again this weekend.
Match Preview
Barcelona have been unstable recently, winning only one of their last five games in all competitions and picking up only five points from the past 12 available in La Liga.
However, title rivals Madrid have had their issues and could not capitalise on the poor form of their rivals.
Barca still hold an 11-point lead at the top of the table with seven games left.
After defeating third-placed Atletico Madrid on Sunday, they could not carry that form into the game against Vallecano.
They will take confidence in their home record which is the best in the league. They have recorded 39 points from 15 home games.
Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez has engineered a remarkable season at the club despite their failures in Europe.
They have had a superb domestic campaign, conceding only 11 goals this season. Goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen has kept a staggering 23 clean sheets.
Robert Lewandowski is La Liga’s top scorer, but his recent form is worrying. He has netted only two goals in his last ten games.
Betis have not been in their best form recently. They have only one win in their last five matches, losing to Atletico Madrid, Cadiz and Osasuna.
While the point against Sociedad was a decent result, Betis missed the opportunity to pull themselves into contention for a Champions League spot.
The Basque team remain fourth, six points ahead of Betis in fifth. Betis have not finished in the top four since 2005, and that run looks set to continue.
They must find form and consistency to finish in the top six, especially with crunch clashes coming.
Betis lost both of their last encounters against Barcelona 2-1, although they beat Barca at Spotify Camp Nou last season.
La Liga Form
Barcelona: WDDWL
Real Betis: LLWLD
Injury News
Barcelona will be without Sergi Roberto due to a muscle problem, while Andreas Christensen sustained a calf injury. They have no suspensions for the match.
Betis will be missing Nabil Fekir due to a knee injury, while Victor Ruiz, Youssouf Sabaly and Juanmi are all doubtful.
Barcelona vs Real Betis Potential Line-ups
Barcelona (4-3-3): Marc-Andre Ter Stegen; Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Marcos Alonso, Alejandro Balde; Pedri, Gavi, Sergio Busquets; Ansu Fati, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha.
Real Betis (4-3-3): Rui Silva; Aitor Ruibal, Luiz Felipe, German Pezzella, Juan Miranda; Guido Rodriguez, Andres Guardado, William Carvalho; Sergio Canales, Rodri, Ayoze Perez.
We Say: Barcelona 2-0 Real Betis
Barcelona’s defence is sturdy, and they can grind out clean sheets. They keep things pretty tight at the back.
Despite Lewansowski’s slump, they are the kind of team to find goals from other parts of the pitch.
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You can watch all La Liga fixtures including Barcelona games via live streaming – see our La Liga live streams page for more information.
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