Barcelona look to bounce back from their setback in El Clasico which saw Real Madrid take top spot in La Liga.

Real Sociedad, on a high after clinching a Copa del Rey final place against their rivals Athletic, will pose a serious threat to a dysfunctional Blaugrana.

Can Lionel Messi banish talk he is on the decline after a sluggish display at the Bernabeu? Follow all the updates from the Nou Camp here. 

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Setien unconcerned by Messi’s dry spell 

“I don’t care that he didn’t score recently. If he scored it would be better, but it has never bothered me,” Setien said, with the Argentine failing to score in six of his last seven games.

“It could happen to Leo or anyone. He is having chances and that is the important thing, that chances are generated.

“He has been scoring goals for 14 years, if he now has a period in which he scores less it is not important.”

• Jack Rathborn
• 7 March 2020 16:16

Braithwaite lauds ‘best passer’ Messi 

I just have to play my game. I like to make good runs and I have the best passer in the world, so for me, it’s really easy.

• Jack Rathborn
• 7 March 2020 16:10

A glimpse at the Barcelona dressing room

• Jack Rathborn
• 7 March 2020 16:08

It was Narcís de Carreras, a lawyer with close ties to the Catalan Regionalist League, who coined Barcelona’s iconic slogan, selling line and soporific cliché: Mes que un club. The late club president is, of course, of no relation to Jeffrey Wright’s eponymous Dr Valentin, but then the modern Barcelona boasts all the division, distrust, and necessary evil to rival an East Coast cartel. 

Rarely has a motto touted so religiously stood for so little. “More than a club because we feel that such values as humility, ambition, effort, teamwork and respect are just as important a part of the way we play as winning,” reads a sleek doctrine on the club’s website. Yet, Barcelona head into Sunday’s Clasico against Real Madrid having charged from dispute to accusation and internal catastrophe to public scandal.  

In the last weeks alone, Josep Maria Bartomeu, the club’s 40th president, has been forced to deny paying a social media firm nearly €1 million to discredit Barcelona’s own players, and rivals to his presidency, on social media. Well, they paid, he accepted, just not for those posts. Gerard Pique, one of those targeted in the tweets, responded by calling a journalist defending Bartomeu a “puppet”. Lionel Messi, with typical reticence, described it as “a bit weird”.

The slow death of what Barcelona used to stand for

• Jack Rathborn
• 7 March 2020 15:55

Setien defends assistant Sarabia

The only thing he did wrong, which I didn’t like, was the way in which he expressed himself.

I love the character and the temperament he has, that doesn’t worry me. What concerns me is the way it was done.

We have apologised (to the club and the players) for a series of words that should not be used when you represent a club like this.

We are obliged to manage the way we do things because there are many kids watching us, so we have to be careful.

• Jack Rathborn
• 7 March 2020 15:54

Barcelona coach Quique Setien has revealed he has apologised to the players and everyone at the club for the exuberant behaviour of his assistant coach Eder Sarabia on the touchline during last week’s 2-0 defeat by Real Madrid.

Sarabia was a little-known figure until Spanish television show Vamos broadcast images of his reactions from the dugout during Sunday’s ‘Clasico’, using a lip-reader to reveal some of the disparaging comments he made about his side’s players.

The assistant coach was seen criticising Antoine Griezmann for failing to convert one of his chances and repeatedly used foul language in response to Barca’s performance during the game.

Spanish media reports said the footage had not gone down well among Barca’s players and Setien said he had told his assistant that he needed to consider his touchline antics.

Quique Setien apologises over Barcelona assistant’s behaviour

• Jack Rathborn
• 7 March 2020 15:53

Real  Sociedad predicted line-up

Real Sociedad: Remiro; Gorosabel, Le Normand, Zubeldia, Aihen; Sangalli, Guevara, Odegaard; Portu, Isak, Oyarzabal

• Jack Rathborn
• 7 March 2020 15:52

Barcelona predicted lineup

Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Semedo, Pique, Umtiti, Alba; Rakitic, Busquets, De Jong, Vidal; Messi, Griezmann.

• Jack Rathborn
• 7 March 2020 15:51

Setien rejects speculation over dressing room unrest

I don’t know what the basis is for saying we don’t have control of the dressing room.

We are delighted with the dressing room we have found here. There are no problems.

I thought it would be more difficult than it is. The players accept everything (asked of them) with an extraordinary attitude.

Some (players) are convinced (by you) quicker, others can take longer. That’s part of life and my job: earning their confidence and transmitting to them that my knowledge can help.

Everything happening is normal and maybe you (the media) are looking for more than there is, but there’s nothing there.

• Jack Rathborn
• 7 March 2020 15:51

Quique Setien insists he has full control of the Barcelona dressing room after a difficult week for the Catalan giants.

A report in the Catalan press following last weekend’s 2-0 El Clasico defeat to Real Madrid – which saw their great rivals hurdle them at the top of La Liga – said Setien had lost support of the squad.

Subsequent reports have suggested that some squad members have opposed Setien’s call to make a number of changes to training and the playing style deployed by his predecessor Ernesto Valverde.

But Setien, speaking at his pre-match press conference for Saturday’s home league game against Real Sociedad, said: “I don’t know what the basis is for saying we don’t have control of the dressing room.

“We are delighted with the dressing room we have found here. There are no problems.

“I thought it would be more difficult than it is. The players accept everything (asked of them) with an extraordinary attitude.

“Some (players) are convinced (by you) quicker, others can take longer. That’s part of life and my job: earning their confidence and transmitting to them that my knowledge can help.

“Everything happening is normal and maybe you (the media) are looking for more than there is, but there’s nothing there.”

Adding to a troubled week, Setien apologised for the behaviour of his assistant Eder Sarabia at the Bernabeu on Sunday.

Sarabia was roundly criticised for an expletive-laden outburst during the game, where he was seen recriminating some of the Barcelona players.

“The only thing he did wrong, which I didn’t like, was the way in which he expressed himself,” Setien said.

“I love the character and the temperament he has, that doesn’t worry me. What concerns me is the way it was done.

“We have apologised (to the club and the players) for a series of words that should not be used when you represent a club like this.

“We are obliged to manage the way we do things because there are many kids watching us, so we have to be careful.”

Barcelona, who trail Real Madrid by one point with 12 games remaining, are without Arthur on Saturday.

The Brazilian midfielder, who suffered an ankle injury last weekend, joins Luis Suarez (knee), Ousmane Dembele (hamstring) and Sergi Roberto (adductor) on the casualty list.

“I am calm because I know that we are going to face the game having got over the (Real Madrid) defeat,” Setien said.

“Of course defeats are always painful, especially at this club, but there’s always a chance (you lose).

“The players are really happy with a lot of things from the Bernabeu, we created seven chances and had four clear chances in the first half.

“We have to pick ourselves up and move forward.”

Real Sociedad are on a high having beat Mirandes on Wednesday to reach the Copa del Rey final, where they will meet Basque rivals Athletic Bilbao.

But sixth-placed Sociedad have an abysmal record at the Camp Nou, failing to pick up a single point there for 25 years.

“It’s going to be difficult because, if it’s been so many years,” head coach Imanol Alguacil said at his pre-match press conference.

“But we have been close to getting something positive there (in the past).

“In the form we are in (six straight wins), we believe that we can get something, although we know the strength of the opponent.

“If, like in the last two years, we are able to make Leo (Messi) appear as little as possible because, if we do that, we will be closer to getting something positive.”

Midfield pair Asier Illarramendi (ankle) and David Zurutuza (Achilles) and centre-back Diego Llorente (muscle problem) are all missing for Sociedad.

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