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Luis Enrique expects tough derby as Barca look to cling on for title

Xinhua, May 8, 2016 Adjust font size:

FC Barcelona coach Luis Enrique expects Sunday' s derby at home to local rivals Espanyol to have all the ingredients of a game between two city rivals, with the extra ingredient that his side need to win in order to remain top of the BBVA Primera Liga title.

Barca will go into the game top of the league table with two games left to play and knowing that a further win away to Granada in the last game of the season would make them Champions.

However, neither club has forgotten that a goal from former Espanyol striker, Raul Tamudo in the Camp Nou nine years ago was enough to deny Barca a league title and Barca' s neighbors are looking to make history repeat itself.

"Derbies are games that have special circumstances which make them different from other games," said the Barca coach.

"If you add the difficulty that we are two weeks from the end of the season and the need that everyone has to win, it complicates everything even more," he added.

Enrique said he didn' t remember Tamudo' s historic goal. "I am not interested in what happened years ago. All that I care about is being better than Espanyol and winning the game," he commented.

Barca saw their 11 point lead in the table evaporate in four matches in early April, although they have recovered to win their last three games.

They looked well below their best in last weekend' s 2-0 win away to Betis, but the coach insisted that their mental strength will be the vital factor in the title race.

"I have no doubt that your mentality is very important in moments like this. We had a lead in the table, but the prize is for the side that is top after 38 matches," said the Barca coach. Endit