Three points from three matches in the La Liga have seen Barcelona already playing catchup to Real Madrid. With the early game coming their way this weekend, Barca will hope to pile the pressure on their greatest rivals by ending their winless league run with an authoritative performance against bottom club Osasuna on Saturday.
The lead at the top looked like being cut to just three points last Saturday, with Barcelona going into the final moments of their El Clasico against Real 1-0 ahead, thanks to a goal from Luis Suarez. However, Sergio Ramos headed in a late equaliser to maintain the status quo at the top, leaving the pressure firmly on Barcelona to go on a winning run.
They warmed up for this La Liga match against Osasuna with a 4-0 thumping of Borussia Monchengladbach, with Lionel Messi and Arda Turan getting on the scoresheet, and Luis Enrique will hope for another worry-free outing on Saturday.
"It was an unusual game against Borussia (Monchengladbach) because there was nothing to play for," Enrique said of the Champions League win. "But the way we played and won so convincingly was a good boost for everyone and the perfect starting point for continuing to improve our performances."
Barcelona can reduce the gap to Real Madrid to just three points with victory over Osasuna, and it does look extremely likely, considering Osasuna are rooted to the bottom, having picked up just seven points from 14 matches this season. Enrique, however, is taking nothing for granted.
"We need to get off to a good start and that means playing well from the very first minute," Enrique said. "We have to be effective with the ball. Osasuna need to win, but so do we because we're six points short of the lead. This isn't any old game for us, the points couldn't be more important."
Osasuna are slowly getting into desperation mode, after such a poor start to the season and Joaquin Caparros will try to motivate his team to get the big scalp of Barcelona, because such a win could be the kind of fillip needed to get their season going.
"The repercussion of playing against Barcelona is great, but that cannot be a reason to be more motivated," Caparros said. "Necessity is the best way to motivate oneself one hundred per cent.
"I am a natural winner and I want a positive result, we are athletes and we aspire to the maximum. We are going to aim for three points."
Where to Watch Live
Osasuna vs Barca is set to begin at 5.30pm IST (1pm CET, 12pm GMT, 7am ET).
India: TV: Sony Six and and Sony Six HD. Live Streaming: Sonyliv.
Spain: TV: Movistar and Bein La Liga.
UK: TV: Sky Sports 5. Live Streaming: Sky Sports Go.
USA, Canada, France, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Middle East, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia: TV: Bein Sports. Live Streaming: Bein Sports Connect.
