Following an ill-tempered Copa Del Rey match against local rivals Espanyol, Barcelona will look to find their rhythm in the La Liga when they host Granada at the Camp Nou on Saturday.
Barcelona beat Espanyol 4-1 in the first leg of their Copa Del Rey fixture, with yellow cards, tackles, abuses and red cards flying all over the place, apart from those five goals. Lionel Messi scored a couple and assisted the other two, while Neymar grabbed a goal as well. But Luis Suarez stole the headlines after the match after apparently confronting the Espanyol players in the tunnel, a decision which led to the Uruguayan being banned for two Copa Del Rey games.
Luis Enrique will hope this La Liga game against Granada is less controversial, with Barcelona desperate to get back to winning ways in the league.
"What I am interested in is football, the less controversy the better," Enrique told reporters in the pre-match press conference. "We're the current league champions and we want to win the title again, win again at home, and keep moving down the right path."
That path could take them to the top of the table, at least for a day, with Atletico Madrid playing only on Sunday, provided Barcelona beat Granada. The current standings place Atletico top by two points from Barca, who have a game in hand, with Real Madrid a further two points behind.
Granada will be desperate to get any sort of point from the Camp Nou, as they currently lie a place and two points above the relegation zone. A victory for Sporting Gijon and Rayo Vallecano, coupled with a loss to Granada could put the latter in the bottom two, which will be a scenario they will be keen to avoid.
"Granada need points, and that makes them more dangerous," Enrique added. "They're physically strong and they work hard. They are on the upswing after a positive result against Sevilla, with the need for points, with good football players and good players on attack that can create problems in the transition game."
Enrique, apart from targeting three points against Granada, will also be keen to give another run-out to Aleix Vidal and Arda Turan, who made their debuts for the club in the cup fixture against Espanyol in midweek. Enrique, though, refused to reveal if Turan and Vidal would definitely be given their La Liga debuts for Barca on Saturday.
"What I decide is always with the intention of what's best for the team," the Barcelona manager said. "Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal are available now and they have to improve their performance like the rest of the players.
"Until now there's been a great response from the team and the fact that new players come in is beneficial. And also, because they play positions we need to improve. Now they have to earn their spot. The coach's job is to make decisions. The team needs to have different options and the competition is necessary."
Where to Watch Live
Barcelona vs Granada is scheduled for a 4 pm CET (8.30 pm IST, 3 pm GMT, 10 am ET) start, with live TV coverage in India on Sony Kix. Viewers in India can also watch the match via live streaming online on Sony Liv.
There will be no live coverage of the La Liga match in the UK, while audience in Spain can catch the match live on Canal+ Liga and Movistar Futbol.
Bein Sports and Bein Sports Connect will broadcast the La Liga match between Barcelona and Granada live in the USA, Canada, Australia, the Middle East and North Africa.
