FC Barcelona vs Deportivo

Barça face their final league game on Saturday against Deportivo La Coruña (4.00pm CET) before leaving for Japan and the World Club Cup. Luis Enrique’s team rounded off their fixtures in the group stage of the Champions League in midweek with a 1-1 draw against Bayer Leverkusen and now they face a Galician side who are one of the revelations of the season and currently occupy sixth place in the table with 22 points, 12 behind leaders Barça.

The squad trained for the final time before their 15th league game of the season on Friday. Luis Enrique will have to face Deportivo without Neymar, the Brazilian having picked up a groin injury in training in Germany on Tuesday. The Barça coach also has doubts over defender Jérémy Mathieu and midfielder Sergi Roberto who both missed the game away at Leverkusen on Wednesday due to injury.

Depor coach Víctor Sánchez also has players missing for the trip to Camp Nou. Former blaugrana Oriol Riera is out due to injury as are Borges, Fabricio, Cartabia and Jonás. Midfielder Pedro Mosquera is also missing due to suspension.

Lucho presser:

Before leaving for Japan to compete in the Club World Cup, FC Barcelona take on Deportivo on Saturday (4.00pm CET) and Luis Enrique was keen to stress his desire to win the game so as to conclude the week in first position in the league

The manager believes Deportivo will prove to be a tough challenge and called on the fans to show their support in what is an important match.

Call for fans to show support against Deportivo

“The fans need to show support in difficult times to give us security, and I am sure that this will help us get the three points to get to the Club World Cup in top condition.”

Deportivo are proving to be a surprise package so far this season, and the manager admits that he is aware of the threat they pose.

“We are preparing for the match with plenty of caution, not only because they are currently sixth in the league but because they have lost just once in seven away matches this season. We have analysed Deportivo and they are not the same side we faced last campaign. They have the same coach but different players and are working very hard.”

Club World Cup approaches

“We have an exciting and attractive target with the Club World Cup, but it would be very sad for us not to slip up in the league," while adding that he wants “to win the game before going to Japan and then we'll see what our rivals get up to .”

Neymar and Messi fitness

Regarding talk of Messi possibly suffering from injury, Enrique quashed those fears early in the press conference: "Messi is absolutely fine. The Barça fans can relax."

About Neymar Jr, the manager said: “He is following the recovery process,” but he is not keen to rush him back into action.

“What I care about is that he recovers to 100% fitness. I would love it if everybody could take part in the Club World Cup but we must take the necessary step.

Opta Facts

Barcelona have won every home league game they have played this season (W7).

The last side to stop Barcelona winning at the Camp Nou in La Liga was Deportivo de La Coruña in the last game last season (2-2).

The Cule side have scored in all their 14 games this season, with an average of 2.4 goals per game, and they have scored in their last 28 league games, the longest such run since October 2013 (64).

The last two Galician sides to play at Camp Nou in La Liga secured points: Celta de Vigo won on MD10 in 2014-15 (0-1) and Deportivo drew on MD38 that season (2-2).

Deportivo de La Coruña have gone five games in a row without a defeat (W2 D2), their best such run in a single season since 2012-13 (7).

The Riazor side have lost just one game away from home in La Liga this season (W3 D3), their best such record at this point since 2005-06.

Deportivo are, alongside Atletico de Madrid, the only La Liga side yet to have been shown a red card this season.

Luis Suarez and Neymar (eight apiece) have scored 16 Barça’s last 17 goals at Camp Nou in La Liga.

Not interested in football lately, not even the Barca games...Great preview though PiJ

Barcelona line-up (official): Bravo - Alves Pique Mascherano Alba - Rakitic Busquets Iniesta - Messi Suarez Sandro

100th game of Pique & Masch together

Strong lineup.

First barca match am going to watch after CLASICO . hope we play same as that match

where's godberto these days??

MaraVilla wrote:where's godberto these days??

just recovered from a minor injury

Messssssssiiiiii great freekick

Rakitic should definitely shoot from distance more often

I called it

linetty wrote:Rakitic should definitely shoot from distance more often

rocket of a shot

linetty wrote:Rakitic should definitely shoot from distance more often

linetradamus

Defence

mathieu

Mathieu is fcking awful, piss off ginger duck

ARE YOU KIDDING ME

our season is over. absolute woeful defending and turn overs

Wow just wow

How can you be so shit to let this slip

mathieu never plays for this team again or i lose interest in football

Disgusting but deserved. Midfield and defense. What kind of bets did Busquets and Mathieu have today?   Sandro, Munir useless, Suarez with off day.

Messi carrying the team is back.

Busquets mistake Mathieu needs to leave ASAP. He's a liability at this point.