MADRID, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- FC Barcelona face one of their toughest tests between now and the end of the season when they visit Eibar's Ipurua Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Barca play the game just four days before their vital Champions League visit to play Chelsea in Stamford Bridge but they would be well-advised to pay full attention to the trip to the Basque country where they are facing one of the most in-form teams, not only in Spain, but in Europe.
Eibar have lost just one of their last 12 matches in the Liga Santander and that defeat was 1-0 at home to Atletico Madrid in a game where they deserved better. They know their 6,000 capacity stadium inside out and with coach Jose Luis Mendilibar at the helm, each player knows his task on the pitch and keeps working flat out for the full 90 minutes.
Barca may have beaten Eibar 6-1 in the Camp Nou earlier in the season, but that was an Eibar struggling with injuries; this is an Eibar at the peak of their game and after a 94th minute goal gave them a 1-0 win away to Leganes last weekend, their confidence is sky high.
Barcelona have a seven-point lead at the top of the Liga Santander, but they have dropped 4 points in their last two games and coach Ernesto Valverde will have to decide how to balance the need to conserve strength for the Champions League with the fact that Eibar demand a physical commitment from their rivals.
The good news for the Catalans is that they have had a full week to prepare for the game with no midweek fixture for the first time in 2018. Valverde has used that to recover tired legs, which could be a key factor.
He will look to give minutes to Ousmane Dembele in the game, although the Frenchman will probable start on the bench, while Nelson Semedo and Paulinho's strength could well earn them a place in the starting 11 for a game where commitment will be just as important as skill.
