Luis Enrique has often said of late that he’s wary of playing teams that are fighting for First Division survival. The recent trips to Levante and Sporting were far from easy, and his team was also made to a lot harder than might have been expected to take three points from Saturday’s visit to Las Palmas
FC Barcelona had to fight tooth and nail to win at Las Palmas and maintain their place at the top of the league table. Luis Suárez and Neymar scored the goals as three very important points were added to the collection. Suárez has now scored 25 goals after 24 league games, enough to move him to the top of the European goalscoring charts, ahead of Gonzalo Higuaín of Napoli, who play Milan in Serie A on Monday.
Speaking after the match, Enrique said his side looked more vulnerable to counter-attacks than normal while dispelling questions of his side's intensity. "Today, we have put in a more effective performance than usual. With a game every three days, all we can ask is that we keep competing," Enrique said. "There was no lack of rhythm to the game. At some moments, given we were on the attack, we suffered more on the counter than is normal."
After defeating Las Palmas 2-1 away from home, FC Barcelona were back in training on Sunday preparing for the upcoming Champions League match against Arsenal. Luis Enrique has chosen the 19 players set to travel to the English capital for the last-16 first let clash against the Premier League side:
Arsene Wenger expects Mesut Ozil to be fit to face Barcelona on Tuesday night, insisting the injury that kept him out of Saturday’s clash with Hull was "nothing major." Ozil has been Arsenal’s star player this season and they struggled without their talisman as Hull came to town in a repeat of the 2014 FA Cup final.
Barcelona could have a secret advantage when they face Arsenal in the Champions League on Tuesday after it was revealed they have been DNA testing their players including Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez. Sportsmail understands Barca are pioneering DNA use in football, with the club’s players having undergone tests to determine who is more likely to suffer injuries and get hurt.
"It wasn't easy to leave Barcelona," he told the Sunday Mirror. "I fulfilled a dream when I moved there - to play in Spain and for the champions - but very few players stay in the same club all their life. To leave is normal. I wanted a new project, a new experience. And with so many attacking players at Barca it was a good choice to go... it has been a positive move and I love it at Arsenal."
Legendary ex-footballer Zico spoke to Barça TV about his admiration for Neymar Jr as well as the upcoming Champions League tie against Arsenal. "It would not be surprising at all if Neymar was named the best player in the world," said Zico, who also lavished praise on Barça’s front three.
Barça B remain on their upward trajectory as they recorded a sixth victory in a row in the Second Division B, the latest win coming 2-0 at home to Atlético Levante. An own goal from Dani Calvo and a first strike for Barça B by Salva Chamorro handed Gerard López’s team another win and impressively a sixth clean sheet in a row also. For the B team there were debuts for Borja López and Paik.
Leicester are bracing themselves for the loss of one of their two crown jewels … with Riyad Mahrez being lined up for a big-money move to Barcelona. The Premier League leaders have been planning contract talks with Mahrez - who only signed a new £35,000-a-week, four-year deal last summer - but are already becoming resigned to losing the playmaker and goalscorer.
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