The Catalan giants have won 11 consecutive matches in all competitions and will go top of the Liga table if they secure all three points against Malaga on saturday.
Their recent run of 6 consecutive League victories is their best since October 2013 and have seen them reduce the gap on Real Madrid at the summit of the table to just one point.
With the Blaugranas having a crucial Champions League game against Manchester City in sight, Luis Enrique may likely rest some of his stars but will take caution, knowing Malaga aren’t a small side.
Barcelona’s attacking trident of Messi, Suarez and Neymar are however likely to feature after all three players scored in weekends 5-0 win against Levante.
Messi picked up a record-equalling 23rd La Liga hat-trick in that game and is in some of the best form of his illustrious career, having netted 14 goals and contributed nine assists in his 11 games so far in 2015.
The Argentine maestro has also scored in each of his last 10 games at Camp Nou, finding the back of the net 17 times in that period, which is the best run of his career on home soil.
On the other hand, Neymar is also having his best season as a Blaugrana having scored 17 goals so far in the League. Enrique faces the difficult balancing act of keeping his stars fresh for the Champions League without stunting their momentum.
Barca have been offered a boost in attack as midfielder Andres Iniesta is set to return for the hosts having overcome a bout of flu, while Dani Alves is also expected to feature having missed the game against Levante through suspension.
Promising youngster Rafinha could be drafted into the side, while Jeremy Mathieu and Marc Bartra may also feature in order for Mascherano and Pique to get rests for the City tie.
For Malaga, that Champions League match is perhaps the only thing preventing this from being the worst possible time to face Barcelona.
The visitors have won just one of their last seven league games – a run that stretches to one in nine in all competitions. That has seen them slip down to seventh in the league table.
Javi Gracia’s side are looking to avoid falling to three consecutive defeats for the first time since October 2013, yet they are without a win in their last five away games and have lost each of their last 12 visits to Camp Nou.
It has been more than a decade since Malaga beat Barcelona in the league home or away, picking up just two points from a possible 54 at this period.
To add to their blow, Malaga will be without Nordin Amrabat and Ignacio Camacho due to suspension, while Roberto Chen and Flavio Ferreira remain sidelined with injuries.
Date: February 21, 2015
Time: 4pm CET
Venue: Estadio Camp Nou, Barcelona
Barcelona Form in La Liga: WWWWWW
Form in all competitions: WWWWWW
Possible starting lineup: Bravo; Alves, Bartra, Mathieu, Alba; Xavi, Busquets, Iniesta; Messi, Suarez, Neymar.
Malaga Form in La Liga: DLDWLL
Form in all competitions: DDLWLL
Possible starting lineup: Kameni; Rosales, Sanchez, Weligton, Boka; Darder, Recio, Samuel, Juanmi, Castillejo; Guerra.
FlyBarca Prediction
Barcelona 4-0 Malaga.
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This post was last modified on December 14, 2018 9:55 am