Barca looking to rediscover top form at Atletico

BARCELONA: Title hopefuls Barcelona need to capitalise on a rare lapse by Real Madrid if they are to take full advantage of Valencia’s midweek success against the leaders of La Liga.

The Catalan club must prevail at in-form Atletico Madrid on Sunday to step up the pressure on their rivals, whose 2-1 defeat at Valencia on Wednesday was only their second of the season.

Real, just one point clear of Barca and three ahead of Sevilla, play later on Sunday at Villarreal.

Barca, still reeling from their 4-0 defeat at Paris Saint Germain in the Champions League on February 14, were booed last Sunday when they needed a late Lionel Messi penalty to beat strugglers Leganes 2-1 in their latest La Liga game.

“We’re not going through our best moment of form,” Barcelona defender Gerard Pique told reporters this week.Real’s defeat at a struggling Valencia, however, has given Barca an opportunity to move top of the standings, at least for a few hours.

Real, hoping to capture the La Liga crown for the first time since the 2011-12 campaign, are starting to look vulnerable. They conceded two goals in the opening nine minutes at Valencia — a deficit that Zinedine Zidane’s men could not overcome. Atletico have had their struggles and are in fourth place, seven points behind Real. But they appear to be hitting their stride.