FC Barcelona vs Real Sociedad

FC Barcelona can end a magnificent week by moving nine points clear of Real Madrid at the top of the BBVA Primera Liga if they are able to beat Real Sociedad in the Camp Nou Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Last week’s decimation of bitter rivals Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu and the humiliation effected upon Italians AS Roma provides a sneak peek into the confidence and strength of Barcelona. He’s the number one as far as we’re concerned.

Holders Barcelona celebrated qualifying for the last 16 of the Champions League with another stunning display on Tuesday, Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi both scoring twice in a 6-1 win against Roma.

Federation Internationale de Football Association will release the names of the three finalists for the Ballon d’Or on Monday, with the choice of world’s best player to be announced on January 11.

Neymar got his first goal in the 22nd minute from a pass by Dani Alves, who also set up Suarez for the defending champions’ second in the 41st.

Messi poured even more salt in Real’s wounds in the dying seconds of the game as he made it four after being set up by Neymar.

Atletico lost midfielder Tiago Mendes in the first half when he was carried off and taken to hospital for tests on his right leg after he injured it kicking Espanyol’s Marco Asensio in the back. Returns of Oier and Oyarzun, although they are not a regular first team players, could boost the Basque side and give Sacristan some breathing space.

“I don’t feel like we are at our best yet, I think we played better last season, although we are certainly playing at a very high level, and that’s important to me”, he said.

“The humility with which Messi has welcomed Suarez and Neymar into the team has been central to it”.

“We expected them to pressure us”, Neymar said. Iniesta picked out Jeremy Mathieu who in turn found the Brazilian for another tap in and his 14th goal of the season – which sees him lead the way as the top goalscorer in the Spanish league.

Neymar grabbed his second at the start of the second period before laying on Messi in injury time to round off the scoring.

Fifty footballing heavyweights entered the ring for the eighth edition of the annual Goal 50 awards, but it was Barcelona and Argentina star Leo Messi who walked away with the win.

Elsewhere, Malaga had to settle for a 2-2 draw at home to Granada.