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Barca to pile pressure on Atletico as struggling Getafe visit Camp Nou

Xinhua, March 11, 2016 Adjust font size:

FC Barcelona have the chance to open up a 11-point lead at the top of Spain's BBVA Primera Liga, if only for a matter of hours, when they entertain Getafe in the Camp Nou Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The game sees two very different runs of form come together as Barcelona go into the game on the back of a record breaking streak of 37 games without defeat, while Getafe travel to Barcelona following eight games without a win.

The form has seen Fran Escriba's side slide from a comfortable mid-table position to only just above the relegation zone and although they gained some confidence with a 1-1 draw at home to Sevilla last weekend, they have scored just one goal in their last seven matches.

That is not the sort of form you want to be visiting the Camp Nou in and it may offer Barca coach Luis Enrique the chance to carry out some squad rotations as he prepares for Tuesday's Champions League tie at home to Arsenal.

Adriano and Aleix Vidal could both step in to provide cover at full back, while Jeremy Mathieu could partner Gerard Pique in the heart of the Barca defense.

One area that Luis Enrique won't be resting players for the moment is in attack, where Luis Suarez and Leo Messi are guaranteed starters and Neymar returns to action after missing the 4-0 win in Eibar last week through suspension.

With Atletico Madrid, who currently trail Barca by eight points, not kicking off their game until two and a half hours after Barca' s finishes, this is a perfect chance for the Catalans to pile yet more pressure on a rival, who has so far done well to withstand the pressure.

Atletico will be favorites to beat a Deportivo la Coruna side that has not won in 2016, although the game will also be clouded by memories of the mass brawl before last season's encounter which saw a radical Deportivo supporter killed after being thrown in the freezing River Manzanares by members of Atletico's Fente Atletico, ultras. Enditem