Barcelona continue their push for an outside chance at catching La Liga leaders Real Madrid as they host Las Palmas on Saturday.
Sitting second in the league standings eight points behind Los Blancos, Barca will know that an injury-riddled Real Madrid could theoretically slip at any moment, and only a near-perfect run-in over the last nine matches will give them a chance to mount a last-gasp comeback.
Xavi has himself been saddled with a host of injury issues to navigate all season long, but Frenkie de Jong could return soon and they navigated the international break without suffering any further damage. Still, the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Ilkay Gundogan could require rest in this match after logging significant minutes for their national team over the past week.
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Las Palmas have surpassed expectations this season, holding a mid-table standing, but are winless over their last five league games, slumping to 11th. A 1-0 defeat to basement-dwellers Almeria last time out was a new low for the overall positive campaign, forced to simmer on that sour taste through the international break.
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Las Palmas have been defensive wizards across the campaign, helping them achieve a solid mid-table standing, but there's been cracks in the armor as the long season winds to a close. They coughed up five to Atletico Madrid in mid-February, and conceded three to Getafe in early March, two clubs they have previously held in check in their earlier meetings.
The visitors this weekend conceded two or more goals to an opponent just three times over the first 24 league games of the season
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