Last season’s treble winners were at their breathtaking best with the fit again Lionel Messi back in the starting lineup and helping them cut open Roma but Luis Enrique focused on their work rate.
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Barcelona vs Real Sociedad 2015 (start time 7 am PST) features two teams with contrasting recent records.
If Mascherano doesn’t recover, the Barca coach has options in defense with either Jeremy Mathieu, Marc Bartra, who on Thursday said he needed more matchtime, or Thomas Vermaelen, who is also available after injury, ready to step into action.
Barca’s win took them seven points clear of nearest rivals Atletico Madrid, who later reduced the deficit back to four with a 1-0 win over Espanyol thanks to Antoine Griezmann’s goal.
“I’m happy with the 90 minutes I played”.
Barcelona coach Luis Enrique has placed his expectations even higher after his side took their tally to 14 goals in eight days with a 4-0 rout of Real Sociedad. The captaincy of Andres Iniesta “is going significantly better than I would have imagined”, Hunter added which has helped the relationship between Enrique and the players.
“We have never said that ourselves and it has been proved”, Messi said.
Luis Suarez hit a brace and set up a double for Lionel Messi in his first start after injury as Barcelona crushed AS Roma 6-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday.
The Argentine revealed that he, Neymar and Suarez have a great relationship on and off the field, and noted that all three of them feel a healthy pressure to perform. “In the first half we put the game away”, Suarez was quoted as saying by Barcelona’s official website.
“I am also in favour of strengthening and improving the team”. That we are in a good moment is undoubtable and that the players are enjoying it is evident, but the players are very intelligent. “We are talking about extending the contract, because that is what I want to do”.
While Barcelona have cruised into the knockout phase, fellow La Liga side Valencia face a tricky final game in two weeks.
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Diario wrote “Barcelona destroy Real Madrid”, while El Mundo Deportivo said the game was “A Symphony from Barcelona and a chorus of boos for Real Madrid”.
