Getty Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen
Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen has tried to fire up his team ahead of the final few games of the season in La Liga.
The Catalan giants closed to within a point of leaders Real Madrid on Saturday with a narrow 1-0 win at Real Valladolid. Los Blancos can restore their four-point advantage of Monday if they beat Granada at Los Carmenes.
Both teams will then have just two games left to play, and Ter Stegen has posted a motivational message to his team ahead of the final week of the 2019-20 league campaign.
One week of La Liga left and anything is possible. Força Barça!
Barcelona’s next game is on Thursday at home to Osasuna before they finish off against Alaves on Sunday. Real Madrid’s final two games are at home to Villarreal and away at Leganes.
Barcelona Need Real Madrid to Slip-Up
Barcelona need Real Madrid to slip-up if they are to have any chance of retaining their title but Zinedine Zidane’s side have shown few signs of letting their grasp on the title slip.
Madrid have won all eight games since La Liga resumed in June after a three-month break due to Covid-19, keeping six clean sheets along the way.
There has been plenty of scrutiny on refereeing decisions and the use of VAR in Madrid’s recent matches, but Zidane told a press conference on Sunday he is not worried and knows his team has quality.
“It doesn’t bother me or surprise me, it’s always the same debate. We prove in every game and every training session that we are good. We have to show it. Everyone will give their opinion on what they think of Real Madrid because it is the most important club in history and this will never change.”
Real Madrid now only need two wins from their final three fixtures to be crowned La Liga champions for the first time since 2017.
Barca Not Giving Up Yet
Yet the Catalan giants are refusing to give up despite having been knocked off the top of the table in Spain by their bitter rivals in recent weeks.
Midfielder Arturo Vidal, who was Barca’s match-winner against Valladolid, has said his team will keep going until the end.
“This was a difficult game, but the important thing is to win. We need to continue to fight in the championship. Our fate does not depend on us, but we must continue to give our maximum effort.”
Barcelona will be expected to win their final two games, particularly as both Osasuna and Alaves are in the bottom half of the table, but even that may not be enough to keep the title from heading to Madrid.
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