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Barca aim to continue improvement against battling minnows Eibar

Xinhua, October 24, 2015 Adjust font size:

FC Barcelona look to confirm the improved form they showed in midweek when they entertain the smallest club in the BBVA Primera Liga in the Camp Nou Stadium on Sunday.

Eibar travel to Barcelona with 13 points and just one defeat from their first eight matches of the season under Jose Luis Mendilibar.

Mendilibar has turned the Basque outfit, which has the smallest budget in the Primera Liga, into a tough and compact side that looks to be solid in defense and break at pace.

It is unlikely Eibar will offer the facilities which Rayo Vallecano offered in Barca's 5-2 win in the Camp Nou a week ago and as a result the game will show whether Barca have been able to tighten up in defense following that anarchic win.

Although the firepower of Neymar and Luis Suarez was the determining factor in that game, Barca's defense was chaotic and were it not for some fine saves from Claudio Bravo the final result could have been very different.

With Javier Mascherano back in the side, Barca gave a far better impression when they won 2-0 away to Bate Borisov in the Champions League on Tuesday, but Barca coach Luis Enrique has made it clear that he wants to try and dose the minutes both Mascherano and Sergio Busquets play.

Meanwhile the pelvic injury suffered by Sergi Roberto in Borisov limits his options in central midfield still further, although that may be eased somewhat by the return from injury of Andres Iniesta and Thomas Vermaelen.

The duo can be expected to play some part in Sunday's game, as will Jeremy Mathieu and possibly Adriano, who offer more defensive options, with Adriano even a candidate to play in the middle of the park.

Sandro Ramirez and Munir are also both pushing for starts in attack as Barca continue without Leo Messi, who will need another week to get over his knee problems, and Rafinha, who is out for the rest of the season.

The game sees the side with the second biggest budget in Spain at home to the team with the smallest, but as football fans know, that is no guarantee of success and Barca will have to continue their improvements to avoid an awkward evening in the Camp Nou. Endi