Barcelona v Levante: preview and possible line-ups

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Barcelona v Levante: preview and possible lineups. EFE

We look ahead to tomorrow night's La Liga clash between Barcelona and Levante at the Camp Nou!

TEAM NEWS

Barcelona

The Catalan giants could be crowned La Liga winners on their own turf tomorrow for the first time in years. Valverde's hard work this season has seen his team dominate La Liga, with a record of 24 wins, eight draws and two defeats, which leaves them with 80 points; nine points clear of second-placed Atletico Madrid. Three games are guaranteed as they face Liverpool in the Champions League semi-final, in addition to Valencia for the Copa del Rey final end of May. The next week is a decisive one for the Catalans, as it could determine if the dreams of a coveted treble - which would be the team's third one - will come true.

Valverde could be making some interesting choices with his line-up, as he will no doubt be looking to rest his star players for the first leg of the UCL semi-final at the Camp Nou. There is some doubt over Messi's presence tomorrow, but the player will probably be making an appearance, even as a substitute, as he has yet again been instrumental for his team's performance and success this season, scoring a total of 45 goals in all competitions. It is looking like an intense end of season for Barcelona, and the players will no doubt be looking to celebrate one title win before having to move onto their next challenge.

Levante

Levante comes to face Barcelona fresh from a huge confidence boost, as the Valencia team defeated Real Betis 4 - 0 last week and have now risen to the 14th spot in the table. Prior to this, the team had 9 consecuitve defeats, and the fear of being relegated was very present, and only three points seperate them from the botton three. Their result against Betis will have been significant, as the team will be needing that enegery and good performance against Barcelona, in a match that will undoubtedly be tough for the tream. Levante secured another season of La Liga last year when they finished 15th in the table, and the team will be looking to repeat that feat.

The Valencia-based outfit have now been present in eight of the last nine La Liga campaigns, which is an indication of their credentials. Aditionally, Levante's away form this season has not actually been too bad in relation to the teams around them. Indeed, they have avoided defeat in eight of their 17 La Liga games on their travels during the 2018-19 campaign.

MANAGER'S THOUGHTS

Ernesto Valverde

"Levante are involved in the relegation battle and those teams pick up most points at the end of the season. We predict a tough match but the league is at stake"

"Tomorrow we want to be champions. It's the game we have been waiting for all season. It's special to be able to celebrate the title with the fans"

"We place great value on the league title because it marks the season. In the league you have to be up to it at several moments and situations during the whole season if you want to be champions"

Paco Lopez

"We know what is at stake for Barcelona, but we are playing our own La Liga game"

" We are thinking only and exclusively about the match against Barça. We have four bullets left, we can't waste any."

"It's very difficult to win at the Nou Camp. It's a nice challenge, and the enthusiasm is there, we are playing for survival, we'll be making the effort. The team is united and we're not losing faith".