Neymar of FC Barcelona celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the La Liga match between FC Barcelona and Villarreal CF at Camp Nou on December 14, 2013 in Barcelona, Spain.
Barcelona boss Gerardo Martino has admitted that his side need to beat Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday if they are to have any chance of retaining their La Liga title.
Three defeats in their last seven La Liga games have left the Catalans four points behind leaders Madrid with just 10 games remaining.
And with Real having not lost in any competition since the sides last met in October, Martino knows Barca have a unique opportunity to get themselves back into the title race.
"I think it is probably the last chance we will have because after this game there are only nine games left and it is not the same thing to come back from one point behind to four or seven," he said on Saturday.
"Teams at this point of the season, particularly those ones fighting for the league, don't make that many slip ups.
"I don't think a draw is a good result for us. The circumstances of the game always indicate whether it is a good result or not as well, but I think it is clear that we need to win the game tomorrow."
Barca's away form has been the principal reason that they have ceded an early season advantage over Madrid as they have won just one of five league games on the road in 2014, including defeats at Real Sociedad and Valladolid.
However, Martino's men did manage a 2-0 win away to Manchester City last month which guided them into the quarter-finals of the Champions League and he is looking for a repeat of that performance at the Bernabeu.
"It is true that there have been games away from home where we have not played well, but there have also been some important ones where we have.
"We have to think more about what we did in Manchester than what we did in Valladolid and try to aim for that type of performance."
Neymar is expected to be recalled by Martino despite the fine form shown by Pedro Rodriguez and Alexis Sanchez in Barca's 7-0 destruction of Osasuna last weekend.
The Brazilian star has had an underwhelming first season in Spain with controversy over his transfer from Santos dominating the headlines rather than his performances on the field.
Yet, Martino insisted that the 22-year-old has nothing to prove and claims Brazilian star Neymar remains "one of the top five players in the world" despite his stuttering start to life with the Catalans.
Neymar is expected to return to Martino's starting line-up for Barca's huge La Liga clash away to Real Madrid on Sunday after sitting out last weekend's 7-0 thrashing of Osasuna as an unused substitute.
And Martino insisted in his press conference ahead of the Madrid match that he had merely handed the striker a well-deserved rest against Osasuna after his exertions in the 2-1 win over Manchester City four days earlier.
"Firstly, I think he played very well against Manchester City in the second leg and, secondly, I will reaffirm what I have said many times that Neymar is one of the top five players in the world.
"I don't need to see one match, half a match, nor even 10 matches to confirm the qualities that he has. I don't think it will be long before people stop talking about him like just another player because he isn't."
Martino also admitted that his side will travel to the Spanish capital knowing that they have to win to retain their league title having fallen four points behind Real with just 10 games to go.
"I think it is probably the last chance we will have because after this game there are only nine games left and it is not the same thing to come back from one point behind to four or seven."
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti said it made no difference to his pre-match preparation whether Neymar started ahead of Pedro Rodriguez or Alexis Sanchez for the visitors at the Santiago Bernabeu.
However, he is backing Gareth Bale to outshine the Brazilian in the battle of last summer's big-money buys.
Bale was a peripheral figure as Neymar stole the show in Barca's 2-1 win over Real last October, but having recovered top form and fitness, Ancelotti believes the Welshman will make a big impact.
"He is in good shape. His physical condition is very important for him and I am sure he will play very well," said the Italian.
"He is in really good condition and we are very happy with him. He had some problems at the start of the season but now he is looking good and we hope that will continue until the end of the season."
Ancelotti also confirmed that Karim Benzema has recovered from the bruised thigh that kept him out of Wednesday's 3-1 win over Schalke.
The Frenchman's return means he will be join Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo in attack as the trio look to add to the 76 goals they have scored in all competitions so far this season.
Three defeats in their last seven La Liga games have left the Catalans four points behind leaders Madrid with just 10 games remaining.
And with Real having not lost in any competition since the sides last met in October, Martino knows Barca have a unique opportunity to get themselves back into the title race.
"I think it is probably the last chance we will have because after this game there are only nine games left and it is not the same thing to come back from one point behind to four or seven," he said on Saturday.
"Teams at this point of the season, particularly those ones fighting for the league, don't make that many slip ups.
"I don't think a draw is a good result for us. The circumstances of the game always indicate whether it is a good result or not as well, but I think it is clear that we need to win the game tomorrow."
Barca's away form has been the principal reason that they have ceded an early season advantage over Madrid as they have won just one of five league games on the road in 2014, including defeats at Real Sociedad and Valladolid.
However, Martino's men did manage a 2-0 win away to Manchester City last month which guided them into the quarter-finals of the Champions League and he is looking for a repeat of that performance at the Bernabeu.
"It is true that there have been games away from home where we have not played well, but there have also been some important ones where we have.
"We have to think more about what we did in Manchester than what we did in Valladolid and try to aim for that type of performance."
Neymar is expected to be recalled by Martino despite the fine form shown by Pedro Rodriguez and Alexis Sanchez in Barca's 7-0 destruction of Osasuna last weekend.
The Brazilian star has had an underwhelming first season in Spain with controversy over his transfer from Santos dominating the headlines rather than his performances on the field.
Yet, Martino insisted that the 22-year-old has nothing to prove and claims Brazilian star Neymar remains "one of the top five players in the world" despite his stuttering start to life with the Catalans.
Neymar is expected to return to Martino's starting line-up for Barca's huge La Liga clash away to Real Madrid on Sunday after sitting out last weekend's 7-0 thrashing of Osasuna as an unused substitute.
And Martino insisted in his press conference ahead of the Madrid match that he had merely handed the striker a well-deserved rest against Osasuna after his exertions in the 2-1 win over Manchester City four days earlier.
"Firstly, I think he played very well against Manchester City in the second leg and, secondly, I will reaffirm what I have said many times that Neymar is one of the top five players in the world.
"I don't need to see one match, half a match, nor even 10 matches to confirm the qualities that he has. I don't think it will be long before people stop talking about him like just another player because he isn't."
Martino also admitted that his side will travel to the Spanish capital knowing that they have to win to retain their league title having fallen four points behind Real with just 10 games to go.
"I think it is probably the last chance we will have because after this game there are only nine games left and it is not the same thing to come back from one point behind to four or seven."
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti said it made no difference to his pre-match preparation whether Neymar started ahead of Pedro Rodriguez or Alexis Sanchez for the visitors at the Santiago Bernabeu.
However, he is backing Gareth Bale to outshine the Brazilian in the battle of last summer's big-money buys.
Bale was a peripheral figure as Neymar stole the show in Barca's 2-1 win over Real last October, but having recovered top form and fitness, Ancelotti believes the Welshman will make a big impact.
"He is in good shape. His physical condition is very important for him and I am sure he will play very well," said the Italian.
"He is in really good condition and we are very happy with him. He had some problems at the start of the season but now he is looking good and we hope that will continue until the end of the season."
Ancelotti also confirmed that Karim Benzema has recovered from the bruised thigh that kept him out of Wednesday's 3-1 win over Schalke.
The Frenchman's return means he will be join Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo in attack as the trio look to add to the 76 goals they have scored in all competitions so far this season.
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