Barcelona are no longer present in the Champions League, and for that reason, they have now been fighting with all their strength to at least win La Liga title. The Catalans are in danger of losing the pole position to their rivals Real Madrid if they fail to take every chance they have before the end of the season, but they could be one step closer to accomplishing their mission with a triumph at home against Tenerife.
Barcelona - A good form
Bottom side Tenerife should certainly not be a threat for the league leaders. Barcelona destroyed Villarreal away from home at the weekend 4-1 thanks to a super performance from their Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi. The defending Copa del Rey champions may have not been able to show off their might in Europe this season, but happily, they still have hopes of finishing their season with one cup in their bag at least.
Barcelona have a very good home record in La Liga, having won 16 games and drawn a single one at the Camp Nou. The Azulgranas have never lost at home in the 2009-10 season, and surely, this is what makes their temple a well-constructed fortress.
Tenerife do not look likely to ending their home record, and in fact, they do not look capable of making the Spanish champions drop points either. They will however need a surprise to live up to the expectations of Los Blancos; should they cause Barcelona an upset.
Unfortunately, coach Pep Guardiola looks set to resting a few players among which are Andres Iniesta, Eric Abidal, and Xavi Hernandez. Hernandez sustained an injury at the weekend in his clash against the Yellow Submarines, while Spanish midfielder Iniesta and Abidal are expected to make their return much later this month.
Coach Pep Guardiola however seems confident ahead of his game, and speaking to journalists, he had no shame in making his point. In an interview, this is what he said:
“We are ready for this final stretch and we all know we have to give it our everything until the final whistle. There’s no room for a slip up and we know that if we take all nine points that are left, we’ll be league champions”.
Tenerife - In bad shape
Tenerfe were only able to collect 35 points in their last 35 league games, making a poor record of only a point per game. They have also lost 13 away challenges, which reduces their mental strength ahead of their game against Barcelona.
Tenerife could nonetheless bounce back and get out of the relegation zone with an unexpected victory against the league leaders. 3 more points could take them to the 15th place in the table, while a loss could take them down to the 19th place. Either way, it would not be the end of their road this season, but obviously, they could go for the best.
La Liga Standings (Top 5) - March 3, 2010
Barcelona - 90 points
Real Madrid - 89 points
Valencia - 65 points
Mallorca - 59 points
Sevilla - 57 poitns
