Hurting Barca bid to slow Madrid's title charge in Clasico

The Spanish champions can make a last stand by reeling Madrid's lead in to five points at the Santiago Bernabeu, even if overhauling their arch-rivals with seven matches remaining to defend the trophy is a tough task. Paris Saint-Germain brought Barcelona's European adventure to an end in painful fashion on Tuesday, overhauling the Catalans' two-goal lead in the tie.

Picking up his squad emotionally after that defeat will not be an easy task for Xavi Hernandez, with some Spanish reports saying the coach may leave his post after the game with reserve team coach Rafael Marquez a possible replacement. Xavi said in January he would depart at the end of the season and despite a strong run of form since leading to a clamour for him to stay, has not changed his mind.

Defeat by PSG in the Champions League quarter-finals may have ended any chance of that happening, beyond a miracle comeback in La Liga. If that is to happen it must begin in the capital against a Madrid side exhausted but jubilant after they beat treble-winners Manchester City on penalties on Wednesday to reach the semi-finals.

Xavi's first job is to calm any potential tension within his squad after midfielder Ilkay Gundogan criticised defender Ronald Araujo for his early red card which cost Barcelona against PSG. "I'll keep what I think to myself, I have codes and values that I think have to be respected," Araujo told reporters.

The Uruguayan centre-back, who was also sent off against Real Madrid in January in Barcelona's painful 4-1 hammering in the Spanish Super Cup final, said his team would not throw in the towel in La Liga. "Madrid are our biggest rival and we have to change our mindset - we'll go all out on Sunday," continued Araujo. "We mathematically have a