Barcelona return from the international break looking to take full advantage of success in El Clasico by protecting their advantage at the top of the table against Celta Vigo.

A break in La Liga fixtures came after wins for both sides at the end of last month, and the pressure will be on the visitors to avoid a shock in Vigo.

Celta Vigo

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For teams like Celta, finding good form in the closing stages of the season can be difficult with European qualification and the threat of relegation both very unlikely, but their loyal home fans will be keen to see some promising signs heading into the summer.

The relief was clear for Eduardo Berizzo before the international break as his side recovered from disappointing performances in defeats to Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao to record a 1-0 win over Levante thanks to a late strike from Charles.

Finding the motivation to finish the campaign strongly is the challenge for Berizzo now, and he will be fully aware that anything less than a top-half finish may be considered a frustrating result given some of the football they have produced this season.

Currently sitting 14 points adrift of sixth-placed Villarreal with 10 games remaining, hopes of reaching the Europa League have been dashed, but they head into the weekend just four points behind Bilbao, who occupy eighth spot.

Despite being the underdogs on Sunday, they are under pressure to produce an impressive home display after winning just two of their previous fixtures in front of their supporters - a run which has played a key role in preventing them from challenging further up the table.

Recent form: WWDLLW

Barcelona

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Just a few months back critics were lining up to point out Luis Enrique's mistakes as reports suggested that star players were unhappy, while the football being produced was short of what has been expected in recent years.

However, throughout the difficult stages of the season Barcelona remained in contention in all competitions, and the doubters have quickly been silenced by a stunning run which has made the treble look like a realistic possibility.

Since the first week of November, Barcelona have won 28 of their 31 games in all competitions, and that impressive record has put them into the final of the Copa del Rey, the last eight of the Champions League and four points clear of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga.

During Real's own fine run before Christmas, it looked like Carlo Ancelotti's side may run away with the title, but Barcelona's 2-1 victory over their fierce rivals at Camp Nou before the international break could prove to be the decisive result in this campaign.

Perhaps one of the most important factors has been the performances of Neymar and Luis Suarez, who are playing their respective roles impressively alongside 43-goal Lionel Messi, and both the Brazilian and Uruguayan were in fine form in that crucial win over Real.

Despite taking a step towards the title with that win, Enrique will be fully aware that a sloppy performance over the next 10 games will open the door to Los Blancos once again.

Games against Almeria and Sevilla follow Saturday's meeting with Celta, and nine points has to be the target as they look to extend their lead ahead of the Champions League quarter-final with Paris Saint-Germain, which is certain to push Enrique's side to the limit.

Recent form: WLWWWW
Recent form (all competitions): WWWWWW

Team News

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There has been good news for Barcelona this week, with the club confirming that Messi is likely to return on Sunday after missing both of Argentina's games while on international duty.

The decision to travel to the USA with the national side came as a surprise following his recent struggles with a foot problem, but after training with his teammates this week, Enrique should have his key man in attack once again.

Celta have no new injury problems to worry about, but Berizzo could decide to hand a start to Charles after his winner against Levante.

Nolito is certain to be named in attack, which means that both Santi Mina and Joaquin Larrivey could be under pressure for their place in the side.

Celta Vigo possible starting lineup:
Alvarez, Mallo, Cabral, Castro, Fontas, Krohn-Dehli, Fernandez, Orellana, Mina, Nolito, Charles

Barcelona possible starting lineup:
Bravo, Alves, Pique, Mathieu, Alba, Mascherano, Iniesta, Rakitic, Neymar, Suarez, Messi

Head To Head

Celta pulled off one of the shocks of the season in November as Larrivey handed them a famous 1-0 victory at Camp Nou, and some may argue that it was that loss which was the start of the turnaround for Barcelona.

There was no such luck for Celta last season as they slipped to back-to-back 3-0 defeats, and before the loss in November, Barcelona had been on an eight-match unbeaten run against Sunday's opponents.

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Hit play below to see what the Sports Mole Sofa had to say about this encounter:

We say: Celta Vigo 1-3 Barcelona

Celta have proved that they are capable of pulling off some shock results by beating both Barcelona and Atletico Madrid this season, but Enrique's side are full of confidence following a vital win over their title rivals and we're backing him to enjoy a comfortable win on his return to his former club.

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