Hansi Flick made clear before the match against Alaves who, for Barcelona, each game feels like a final and the defeat of Real Madrid has now given them additional motivation to close the gap.
Despite following Madrid for seven points, not everything is lost for Barcelona. The unexpected defeat of Real Madrid has opened a ray of Esperanza and Barcelona must take advantage of this opportunity against Alaves.
If Barcelona manages to obtain the three points, they will reduce the gap with the leaders of the League, Real Madrid, only four points.
At present, Real Madrid has 49 points, only one point ahead of Atlético de Madrid, who assured a 2-0 victory against Real Mallorca on Saturday.
A victory for Barcelona would take them to 45 points, placing them in third place. This would leave them only three points behind Atlético and four behind Real Madrid.
Each match is crucial for Barcelona
The moment is crucial because the next weekend (February 8), there will be a Derby from Madrid at Santiago Bernabéu.
A draw between Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid would be the ideal result for Barcelona, since both teams would drop points.
A victory for any of the teams would still help Barcelona, but a draw is perhaps the best result for Hansi Flick’s side.
Looking towards the future, Barcelona’s challenge will not end with Alaves. After the Madrid Derby, Barcelona will travel to Seville. This match is scheduled for Sunday, February 9, the day after the Madrid Derby.
Looking to the future
The recent Barcelona record at the Sánchez Pizjuan Stadium has been strong, without losses there since the 2015/16 season. In the last eight seasons, Barcelona has secured five victories and three draws in his visits to Seville.
They have also won the last three meetings in the place. A victory in this match would bring Barcelona even more to the top of the League, so it is a golden opportunity to revive its challenge of the title.
This section of matches could be fundamental for the Barcelona season, and ensure maximum points of these next games will be crucial if they want to stay in the race for the title.