Barcelona will hope for a comfortable Liga outing when
they host bottom club Real Betis between UEFA Champions League quarter-final
clashes.
Saturday's visit of the strugglers will be a welcome
assignment on the back of a punishing 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid at Camp Nou
in midweek.
Neymar struck 19 minutes from time to peg back Diego's
sensational opener and the nip and tuck nature of the contest underlined the
likelihood of the battle for the Spanish title going to the wire.
It was the fourth draw between Barca and Liga leaders
Atletico this term, meaning Gerardo Martino will be loath to see his team slip
up before the eagerly anticipated season finale between the two teams in
Catalunya on May 18.
The good news on that front is the wobble that brought
consecutive away defeats at Real Sociedad and Real Valladolid as February
became March appears to be a thing of the past.
The draw against Atletico ended a run of five wins in all
competitions for Barcelona - a sequence including victories over bitter title
rivals Real Madrid and city neighbours Espanyol.
Nine goals and two hat-tricks have seen Lionel Messi
typically leading the charge during this period.
"With Messi on the pitch the story almost always
ends the same way," said Martino after last weekend’s Catalan derby found
a predictable match-winner, although his team enter this contest on the back
off huge off-field controversy in the form of a 14-month FIFA transfer ban.
World football's governing body punished the Spanish
champions for a breach of rules regarding the transfer of foreign under-18
players. The club has confirmed they will appeal.
By contrast, Betis' problems are all unfolding on the
other side of the white line.
Rock bottom with 22 points from 30 games - eight shy of
safety - their campaign appears destined to end in relegation.
Last time out, Betis suffered a crushing reverse after
Lorenzo Reyes' superb opener at home to Malaga had them on course for
restorative back-to-back victories.
Juanmi and Sergi Darder struck inside the last seven
minutes to put the visitors 2-1 ahead - a sapping turn of events in itself
before Ruben Castro passed up the chance to claim a point by thudding a penalty
against the crossbar in the dying moments.
"Analysing the game, it's incredible to think we've
lost, it's hard to explain. It was like a horror movie. You have to take your
chances though," head coach Gabriel Calderon lamented.
Barca's current injury woes in defence may give Calderon
cause for comfort, with Gerard Pique joining goalkeeper Victor Valdes on the
sidelines after fracturing his hip against Atletico.
Marc Bartra is likely to partner Javier Mascherano in the
heart of defence in Pique's absence.
Culled from Soccerway
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