Barca aim to end year within touching distance of Real

Catalans host Cordoba today in a bid to cut gap with leaders to one point.

MADRID: Barcelona’s star strikers will need to rediscover their scoring touch to stay in the title race in La Liga as the Catalan outfit host struggling Cordoba today.

In the absence of the injured Neymar, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez drew a blank in a 0-0 draw at Getafe last weekend that saw Luis Enrique’s men fall four points behind in-form league leaders Real Madrid.

However, with the European champions playing San Lorenzo in the final of the Club World Cup today, Barca can cut the gap to a single point heading into the new year.

“It’s important to end the year on a winning note and give some joy to the fans,” said midfielder Ivan Rakitic.

Barca will end the year having failed to claim a single trophy for the first time in six years, but, despite an indifferent start to Luis Enrique’s time in charge, star playmaker Xavi Hernandez is confident of ending that drought in what is likely to be the final season of his illustrious Barcelona career.

“The motivation doesn’t stop with the passing of the years,” he said. “To play for the best team in the world always carries the same motivation.

“We will fight for the three competitions. It will be difficult, but we believe we can fight for the league, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League.”

Enrique is hopeful of having Neymar and Daniel Alves back fit from ankle and hamstring injuries respectively.

However, Pedro Rodriguez showed he can be a capable understudy for the Brazilian should Neymar miss out again as he netted a hat-trick in the 8-1 humiliation of Huesca in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday that sealed a 12-1 aggregate victory.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 20^th, 2014.

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