Preview: Final preparations before the 2013/14 La Liga campaign begins
Neymar and Messi got the chance to play together in their last match against Thailand, and it looks like they will get a second chance on Saturday. The two linked up well together, and although they took on a much inferior Thailand side, the two South Americans will really be a headache for any team they are up against.
"Messi and Neymar combined well and played in different areas of the pitch," Gerardo Martino told Goal.com reporters after Barcelona's 7-1 victory over Thailand. "The connection between Neymar and Leo was the most interesting thing about the game and they played well as we expected. They combined well and scored goals, but they also combined with other players, which is what you expect at this level."
With the two of them finally getting the chance to show off their talent together, the match on Saturday will be their last chance before the new campaign kicks off in a weeks time.
Martino is well aware that coming away without any injuries on Saturday is key, but he would also like to get his likely starters some significant time, in order to get them match fitness.
In a match that is mostly to promote the Blaugrana in Malaysia, as well as to sort out some last minute question marks within the squad, this match should provide a lot of goals. Neymar and Messi are almost certainly going to get the nod in the Barcelona attack, but that final element of the front three is still a question mark.
Pedro picked up a knock after scoring a hattrick against Thailand, which almost certainly puts him out of this match. Another option would be Cristian Tello, but since he will be making his return after a hamstring injury, the likely candidate would be Alexis Sanchez.
Behind their talented front three, Sergio Busquets and Iniesta could get the start, with Martino wanting to put out a strong starting XI.
The question in the midfield will be if Cesc Fabregas will start, or if Xavi will reclaim his spot in the center of the park.
In the Barcelona defense, there should not be too many question marks, at least for the time being. With the Catalans chasing Chelsea's David Luiz, that could force some players to step up their play, but for now, there will likely not be any surprises.
Jordi Alba and Dani Alves have yet to feature together, but Saturday's match should see them both starting, with Pique and potentially Bartra in the heart of the defense.
The hosts have yet to win a match during this summer tour, with Saturday's meeting with Barcelona not giving them the greatest chance of changing that.
Where to watch the match - live stream, start time, TV channels
Watch Malaysia All Stars vs Barcelona live:
In the USA at 8:30 ET on: beIN Sport en Español, TV3 Catalunya
For viewers in Africa, you can follow all the action on Al Jazeera Sport HD2.
