Preview: Osasuna will try to distance themselves from the relegation zone
A mid-week victory over Manchester City should propel Barcelona to a positive result on Sunday. The Blaugrana were beginning to come under fire, but their performance on Wednesday will have silenced even a few of their doubters.
They will take the pitch on Sunday with a seven-point gap between themselves and league leaders Real Madrid.
Second placed Atletico Madrid also won their match on Saturday, putting them four points adrift of the Catalans. It will now be Barcelona’s job to cut that lead down with a victory over Osasuna at the Nou Camp.
The visitors are 15th in La Liga with 29 points, but they are only three points clear of the relegation zone. They now face a stern test against the current Spanish champions on their home turf.
“I would love to be in crisis if it meant just losing three league games, being in the quarterfinals of the Champions League and the final of the Copa del Rey,” said Osasuna’s Oriel Riera, when asked about Barcelona’s inconsistencies this season.
“For me, we will be playing against the best possible Barcelona side and against a great team.”
Their first meeting this season ended in a scoreless draw. From their last six meetings at the Nou Camp, Osasuna has lost five of six. During that span, they have conceded 21 goals, and have scored only two.
Osasuna will try to put a stop to Barcelona's goalscoring against them, but that will not be easy. Between Messi, Alexis Sanchez and Pedro, the three Catalan forwards have scored 44 goals combined in La Liga. That total is more than all the goals Osasuna has scored all season.
Fresh off their Champions League victory, the hosts should make quick work of Osasuna, who do not tend to travel well. They have only won three of their 14 away fixtures, while only scoring nine, and conceding 23.
Going up against a Barcelona squad that has scored 46 goals at home and only conceded 10, Javi Gracia's squad could be in some trouble.
Where to watch this match - live stream, start time, TV channels, live scores
Watch Barcelona vs Osasuna live on Sunday, March 16, 2014:
In Canada at 12:00 ET on: beIN Sports Play Canada
In the UK at 16:00 GMT on: Sky Sports 2/HD
In the USA at 12:00 ET on: beIN Sports Play, beIN Sports USA, beIN Sports en Español
For full TV listings of this match, please visit the Barcelona vs Osasuna match page.
