After virtually clinching a third straight Spanish Liga title, Barcelona are turning their attention to the Champions League - and to Wednesday's quarter-final first leg match at home to Shakhtar Donetsk.
On Saturday Pep Guardiola's team opened up what looks like an impregnable eight-point lead over Real Madrid by winning 1-0 at Villarreal.
With yet another league title practically in the bag, they are now aiming for what would be a third Champions League triumph within five years.
Guardiola will be without veteran defenders Carles Puyol and Eric Abidal, but Maxwell, Pedro and Lionel Messi are all fit again.
Guardiola will probably stick by the defence which coped so well in Villarreal, with Sergio Busquets in central defence alongside Gerard Pique and with Brazilians Dani Alves and Adriano down the flanks.
Javier Mascherano, who has finally acquired the poise and rythm of a Barca player, is likely to continue in Busquet's normal place in central midfield, with Xavi and Andres Iniesta close to him.
"We have a very difficult rival and we will need a good result in order not to suffer too much in the second leg. At this level, it is complicated to get a very favourable result in a first leg match," said striker David Villa.
Villa is not in great form lately, but he firmly believes his team-mates can step up.
"Whenever you don't score you get a bit worried, but if I don't score than a team-mate will. The important thing is not to tun it over in your mind," Villa said.
Most Barca fans are optimistic about reaching the quarter-finals, but former coach and star Johan Cruyff doesn't share that optimism.
"I am not sure about the tie. Donetsk are a very dangerous team indeed," Cruyff said.
The Ukrainians will come to the Camp Nou in good heart as a result of Friday's 3-1 win away to Illchivets. The game was brought forward from Saturday in order to give Mircea Lucescu's team an extra day to prepare for Barcelona.
Defender Dmytro Chygrinskiy has been passed fit for a game that will be very important for him personally. He was sent back to Donetsk after failing to make the grade at Barca.
"I am looking forward to the match. I don't want to take revenge against Barca becuse I am not like that, but I don't want to show them that i am a good player, and that they should have given me more time to prove my value," Chygrinsiky said.
On Saturday Pep Guardiola's team opened up what looks like an impregnable eight-point lead over Real Madrid by winning 1-0 at Villarreal.
With yet another league title practically in the bag, they are now aiming for what would be a third Champions League triumph within five years.
Guardiola will be without veteran defenders Carles Puyol and Eric Abidal, but Maxwell, Pedro and Lionel Messi are all fit again.
Guardiola will probably stick by the defence which coped so well in Villarreal, with Sergio Busquets in central defence alongside Gerard Pique and with Brazilians Dani Alves and Adriano down the flanks.
Javier Mascherano, who has finally acquired the poise and rythm of a Barca player, is likely to continue in Busquet's normal place in central midfield, with Xavi and Andres Iniesta close to him.
"We have a very difficult rival and we will need a good result in order not to suffer too much in the second leg. At this level, it is complicated to get a very favourable result in a first leg match," said striker David Villa.
Villa is not in great form lately, but he firmly believes his team-mates can step up.
"Whenever you don't score you get a bit worried, but if I don't score than a team-mate will. The important thing is not to tun it over in your mind," Villa said.
Most Barca fans are optimistic about reaching the quarter-finals, but former coach and star Johan Cruyff doesn't share that optimism.
"I am not sure about the tie. Donetsk are a very dangerous team indeed," Cruyff said.
The Ukrainians will come to the Camp Nou in good heart as a result of Friday's 3-1 win away to Illchivets. The game was brought forward from Saturday in order to give Mircea Lucescu's team an extra day to prepare for Barcelona.
Defender Dmytro Chygrinskiy has been passed fit for a game that will be very important for him personally. He was sent back to Donetsk after failing to make the grade at Barca.
"I am looking forward to the match. I don't want to take revenge against Barca becuse I am not like that, but I don't want to show them that i am a good player, and that they should have given me more time to prove my value," Chygrinsiky said.
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