Wrapping up preseason Game 2; Wayne Simmonds wants blood; Talbot healthy; J.T.'s time

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Making my first trip to MSG tonight since Game 4 of the Stanley Cup, so, you know, there might be some feels that come with that. We're getting pretty close to the end of the preseason, the likes of which will finish out this week. That means it's officially crunch time. But we've got a lot to review, so without further ado, your morning notes.

Beginning with that game tonight against the Flyers, here's what the Rangers lineup is expected to look like.

The Rangers got in the win column in exhibition hockey, taking down the Blackhaks 5-4 on Friday. Some things that we know from that game.


How some of the Rangers players fared (spoiler: J.T. Miller was at it again). [Blueshirt Banter]
I mean, let's face it: The time is now for Miller. [Newsday]
The 19-year-old Anthony Duclair got his first crack at pro hockey. The first verdict. Quite good. [Ranger Rants]
Here is Duclair being good to the tune of his first professional goal, in GIF form. [Blueshirt Banter]
It wasn't quite an opportunity for revenge for Brad Richards, at least in his own eyes. He holds no ill-will against his former club. [ESPN]
Wayne Simmond is not happy with the Rangers. This much we probably already knew, but now, it's documented. [The Hockey News]

Derick Brassard and Rick Nash may be better suited to play on a line together than most assume. [Blueshirt Banter]

Chris Kreider and Carl Hagelin pace the Rangers fast offense. This summer, they were working to make sure everything runs smoothly going forward. [Daily News]

And Kreider, who is entering technically what is only his sophomore season, has become a young leader. [NY Post]

Glen Sather has a history of offering up second chances, something he again showed this summer. [Blueshirt Banter]

After a freak injury that knocked him out of the playoffs, Cam Talbot is back to full health. [Newsday]

Matthew Lombardi was the latest Ranger to go down, suffering a groin injury. [Ranger Rants]

And with both Ryan Malone and Lombardi nursing injuries, it may be the kid's time. [Daily News] [Newsday]

Among those young guys looking to crack the ranks is Jesper Fast, looking to carve out a role for himself at the NHL level. [NY Post]

Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur: 'Mesut Ozil and Danny Welbeck are a very interesting combination for Arsenal,' says Arsene Wenger

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Ahead of tomorrow's north London derby against Tottenham, Arsene Wenger has spoken of his delight at his attacking pairing of Mesut Ozil and Danny Welbeck, saying that the two are a "very interesting combination" for Arsenal.

The pair combined to devastating effect in the 3-0 victory over Aston Villa last weekend, with either setting up a goal for the other.

"Ozil played very well with Welbeck [against Villa]," said Wenger. "That's a very interesting combination for us."

READ MORE: OZIL AND WELBECK ARE A VERY INTERESTING COMBINATION - WENGER
POCHETTINO REVEALS HE WANTS TO MATCH SUCCESS OF WENGER
SAGNA DOES TWITTER Q&A SESSION, GOES HORRIBLY WRONG

Arsenal were knocked out of the League Cup on Tuesday after losing 2-1 at home against Southampton. Wenger made 10 changes to the side who beat Villa for that match, and he says it will be a much-changed Gunners' starting XI for the derby at the Emirates.

 

"It was a disappointment to go out against Southampton but there will be a completely different team tomorrow."

Game schedule 27/09/2014 All watch live here

Game schedule 27/09/2014 All watch live here

Game schedule 27/09/2014 All watch live here 

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FOOTBALL 12:00 2. Bundesliga Simulcast / Konferenz

FOOTBALL 12:00 Karlsruher SC vs FC Ingolstadt 04

FOOTBALL 12:00 1. FC Union Berlin vs SV Darmstadt 98 

FOOTBALL 12:45 Liverpool FC vs Everton FC

FOOTBALL 14:25 Bundesliga Simulcast / Konferenz 

FOOTBALL 14:30 FC Schalke 04 vs Borussia Dortmund 

FOOTBALL 14:30 SC Freiburg vs Bayer 04 Leverkusen 

FOOTBALL 14:30 VFB Stuttgart vs Hannover 96 

FOOTBALL 14:30 1. FC Koln vs Bayern Munchen 

FOOTBALL 14:30 SC Paderborn 07 vs Borussia Monchengladbach 

FOOTBALL 15:00 Chelsea vs Aston Villa 

FOOTBALL 15:00 Crystal Palace vs Leicester City

FOOTBALL 15:00 Hull City vs Manchester City 

FOOTBALL 15:00 Manchester United vs West Ham United 

FOOTBALL 15:00 Southampton FC vs Queens Park Rangers 

FOOTBALL 15:00 Sunderland vs Swansea City FC

FOOTBALL 15:00 Villarreal CF vs Real Madrid 

FOOTBALL 16:00 Toulouse vs Paris Saint Germain 

FOOTBALL 17:00 FC Barcelona vs Granada CF 

FOOTBALL 17:00 AS Roma vs Hellas Verona

FOOTBALL 17:00 SV Zulte Waregem vs RSC Anderlecht FC

FOOTBALL 17:30 Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur 

FOOTBALL 17:30 VFL Wolfsburg vs Werder Bremen

FOOTBALL 18:00 Besiktas vs Eskisehirspor

FOOTBALL 18:30 Estoril vs Benfica Lisbon

FOOTBALL 19:00 Atletico Madrid vs FC Sevilla

FOOTBALL 19:00 Lille OSC vs SC Bastia 

FOOTBALL 19:00 FC Lorient vs Evian Thonon Gaillard 

FOOTBALL 19:00 FC Metz vs Stade de Reims

FOOTBALL 19:00 Montpellier HSC vs En Avant Guingamp 

FOOTBALL 19:00 Multiplex Ligue 1 

FOOTBALL 19:30 KRC Genk vs Royal Charleroi 

FOOTBALL 19:45 Go Ahead Eagles vs Feyenoord 

FOOTBALL 19:45 Atalanta Bergamo vs Juventus

FOOTBALL 20:30 Sporting Braga vs Rio Ave FC 

FOOTBALL 21:00 UD Levante vs Rayo Vallecano 

FOOTBALL 21:00 Athletic Bilbao vs SD Eibar 

FOOTBALL 22:00 Pittsburgh Penguins vs Columbus Blue Jackets

NHL 00:00 Boston Bruins vs Detroit Red Wings

NHL 01:00 Florida Panthers vs Nashville Predators 

NHL 01:00 Winnipeg Jets vs Minnesota Wild

NHL 01:00 Dallas Stars vs St. Louis Blues

NHL 01:00 Anaheim Ducks vs San Jose Sharks

Schedule of Today's Games All Watch live here

Schedule of Today's Games All Watch live here
http://istream.me.uk/live/ 
FOOTBALL 17:30 2. Bundesliga Simulcast / Konferenz

FOOTBALL 17:30 Eintracht Braunschweig vs SV Sandhausen

FOOTBALL 17:30 TSV 1860 Munchen vs SpVgg Greuther Furth

FOOTBALL 17:30 FC Erzgebirge Aue vs VfR Aalen 1921

FOOTBALL 18:00 Galatasaray vs Sivasspor

Basketball 18:00 Real Madrid vs Valencia Basket

FOOTBALL 19:30 FSV Mainz 05 vs TSG Hoffenheim

FOOTBALL 20:00 Elche CF vs Celta de Vigo

FOOTBALL 20:30 Sporting Lisbon vs FC Porto

NHL 00:00 Buffalo Sabres vs Toronto Maple Leafs

NHL 00:00 Colorado Avalanche vs Montreal Canadiens

NHL 00:00 Washington Capitals vs Boston Bruins

NHL 00:30 New York Islanders vs New Jersey Devils

NHL 01:30 Chicago Blackhawks vs New York Rangers

NHL 03:00 Vancouver Canucks vs Calgary Flames

ESPANYOL vs. GETAFE Live Stream FREE Online: 2014 La Liga Table, Live Coverage From Barcelona, Projected Lineups and TACTICAL PREVIEW

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Getafe look to rise in the Spanish BBVA table. (Photo : Reuters)

Two clubs in the relegation zone of the Liga BBVA table will do battle today in a league match between Espanyol and Getafe. The first-division clash scheduled for 2 p.m. ET will be held at the Estadi Cornella-El Prat in Barcelona and can be live streamed here free.

Getafe manager Sergio Gonzalez had this to offer ahead of today's league encounter (via Inside Spanish Football): "The team are in a process of maturity and despite the results, I think we're learning and progressing every week. Sometimes we take a bigger step than in others, and we know there's still a lot of room for improvement. The upcoming game against Getafe is a vital one for us. Every game we play is an important one and this match won't be any different."

Tactical Preview

Player to Watch: Getafe's Sergio Garcia has been the lone bright spot in the club's early season woes. The 31-year-old has two goals, one assist and average of two take-ons per match.

Espanyol's Projected Lineup (4-2-3-1): Casilla; Alvarez, Gonzalez, Colotto, Lopez; Sanchez, Canas; Montañes, Garcia, Vazquez; Calcedo

Getafe's Projected Lineup (4-2-3-1): Guaita; Escudero, Alexis, Naldo, Arroyo; Michel, Rodriguez, Lafita, Sammir, Sarabia; Vazquez

Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (lineups and statistics via WhoScored).

Standings

	Rnk		Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	+/-	Pts
	1		FC Barcelona	5	4	1	0	11	0	11	13
	2		Sevilla FC	5	4	1	0	9	3	6	13
	3		Atlético Madrid	5	3	2	0	7	4	3	11
	4		Valencia CF	4	3	1	0	10	2	8	10
	5		Real Madrid CF	5	3	0	2	18	9	9	9
	6		Celta de Vigo	5	2	3	0	10	7	3	9
	7		Villarreal CF	5	2	2	1	7	4	3	8
	8		Granada CF	5	2	2	1	4	3	1	8
	9		Eibar	5	2	1	2	5	4	1	7
	10		Málaga CF	5	1	3	1	3	5	-2	6
	11		UD Almería	5	1	2	2	4	5	-1	5
	12		Rayo Vallecano	5	1	2	2	8	10	-2	5
	13		Real Sociedad	5	1	1	3	7	8	-1	4
	14		Deportivo La Coruña	5	1	1	3	7	14	-7	4
	15		Elche CF	5	1	1	3	5	13	-8	4
	16		Levante UD	5	1	1	3	1	10	-9	4
	17		Athletic Club	5	1	0	4	4	6	-2	3
	18		Getafe CF	4	1	0	3	2	8	-6	3
	19		RCD Espanyol	4	0	2	2	5	8	-3	2
	20		Córdoba CF	4	0	2	2	3	7	-4	2

Funny Football Moments 2 CR7, Messi, Zlatan, Marcelo, Pepe, Suarez,Mourinho HD

Funny Football Moments 2 CR7, Messi, Zlatan, Marcelo, Pepe, Suarez,Mourinho HD

football pictures sweet funny win anther balloon doer

FUNNY FOOTBALL PICTURES WORLD

funny football pictures

funny football pictures

funny football pictures

funny football pictures

funny football pictures

funny football pictures

funny football pictures

funny football pictures

funny football pictures world

Football Funny Picture

   

Thailand: Campaign to free gorilla from high-rise zoo

Bua Noi in her cage in a Bangkok department store

Officials in Bangkok have agreed to meet activists campaigning for the release of a female gorilla which has been on display in a department store's zoo since 1987, it's reported.

The campaign to re-house Bua Noi (Little Lotus) from the zoo on the top two floors of Bangkok's Pata department store has more than 35,000 signatures and has resulted in the director of the country's Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) agreeing to speak to activists about the case, the Bangkok Post reports. Sinjira Apaitan, who organised the petition, told the paper: "I don't think animals should be locked up in such unnatural habitat. I hope to help all other animals being held captive in this high-rise zoo as well." Speaking to Bangkok's Nation newspaper Sinjira hopes that the zoo, which has been criticised for its cramped conditions in the world's media for several years, would lose its licence.

A BBC journalist who has visited the Pata Zoo says the cages are small, concrete and some of the hundreds of animals were clearly suffering mental effects from their confinement. In defence of the attraction, zoo director Kanit Sermsirimongkol tells the Bangkok Post that "Bua Noi is very valuable to our zoo and we would not do anything to harm her in any way." Activists concede that it is probably too late for Bua Noi to live in the wild, but she could probably be housed in an open zoo instead.

BBC

Ottawa Senators vs Toronto Maple Leafs Games P3 & P4 Preview

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One of the NHL’s biggest rivlaries kicks off preseason style with a simultaneous split squad double header home and home series.

 

VS

Game 1:  7:30 PM EST

Game 2:  7:30 PM EST

Scotia Bank Place Ottawa,Ont

Air Canada Centre Toronto,Ont

TV: TSN 5  RADIO: TSN1200

MATCHUP HISTORY

The Battle of Ontario kicks off Wednesday, September 24th. The Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs square off in two split squad games. Ottawa lost the season series last year. The Senators went 1-1-2 last year, with two losses coming via the shoot out. The Senators need to do their best to limit Phil Kessel. Kessel put up 7 points against the Senators last year.  The Senators need to play disciplined, and avoid going to the penalty box.

LAST GAMES

Ottawa Senators 2-3(SO) New York Islanders

Toronto Maple Leafs 4-0 Philadelphia Flyers

PLAYERS TO WATCH – There are many players to watch in the two games. Young guns such as Mark Stone and Curtis Lazar, as well as established stars such as Bobby Ryan and Erik Karlsson. The Leafs showcase talent such as Phil Kessel and James Van Riemysdyk. Both Ottawa and Toronto will see their fair share of established NHL talent, as well as up and coming players looking to make an impact in the NHL.

Game 1

Senators – The Senators will ice a lineup that will include Craig Anderson and Chris Driedger as the goalies. The defence features Erik Karlsson, Marc Methot, Eric Gryba,Mark Borowiecki, Chris Wideman, Fredrik Claesson, Michael Sdao and Patrick Mullen.

The forwards will be Bobby Ryan, Chris Neil, David Legwand, Curtis Lazar, Kyle Turris,Clarke MacArthur, Colin Greening, Brad Mills, Matt Puempel, Jakub Culek, Alex Guptill,Carter Camper, Buddy Robinson, Derek Grant and Garrett Thompson.

Leafs- The Leafs could have stars such as Nazim Kadri, David Booth, and young defense man Morgan Reilly. Benier, Gibson or Heeter could be in net.

Game 2

Senators – The Senators could feature Mike Hoffman, Mika Zibanejad, Jared Cowen, Robin Lehmer and Jean-Gabriel Pageau.

Leafs- The Leafs could have stars such as James Van Riemsdyk, Joffrey Lupil and Phil Kessel. James Reimer is expected to start between the pipes.

TOP 3 STORYLINES FOR THE GAMES

1.  Make an Impact – This statement was made in the last pre-season match up. It is very true in all preseason games. It is imperative for young guns like Curtis Lazar, Matt Puempel and anyone else bordering on a roster spot to have a good game. Pre-season performance can be the difference between playing with the Ottawa Senators, versus playing with the Binghamton Senators.

2. Limit Penalties – The Senators lead the league 5 on 4 power play chances against. It would be good to see the Senators stay out of the box, and take a more disciplined approach to the upcoming season. Everything starts in the pre-season, they need to make a commitment to stay out of the box starting now.

3.  Solid Goaltending – Who will be the number one goaltender by the end of the season? It is important for both Craig Anderson and Robin Lehner to provide a solid presence in the net. It is most likely Craig Anderson’s starting job to lose. It would be amazing to see solid performance from both goaltenders on Wednesday night.

ENJOY WATCHING/LISTENING TO THE GAMES!

La Liga: Malaga CF vs FC Barcelona: Match Preview

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Manuel Queimadelos Alonso

A comprehensive preview of FC Barcelona's Jornada 5 clash with Malaga CF in Andalusia, as Luis Enrique's side travel to La Rosaleda with the hope of extending their 100% record and maintaining their lead at the top of La Liga

Barcelona will be hoping to extend their winning run to six games and maintain their 100% record under Luis Enrique tomorrow when they travel to Andalusia to take on Malaga CF at La Rosaleda. We are just two seasons removed from Malaga’s historic and shock run to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals where Manuel Pellegrini’s side were just a few minutes away from a place in the final four, yet in that year and a half Los Boquerones’ decline has been equally sudden and devastating.

Manuel Pellegrini is long gone, as are the star players: the Iscos, the Santi Cazorlas, even the Jeremy Toulalans and the Nacho Monreals have left. The money dried up a long time ago and with it went Malaga’s slim chances of sustaining a presence in La Liga’s top four. Under the guidance of Bernd Schuster, Malaga dropped to a mid-table finish and if the early signs of Javi Gracia’s reign as head coach are anything to go by, the Andalusians look destined for a repeat this campaign.

It all started so promisingly. The ex-Osasuna boss guided Malaga to a narrow opening day victory over Athletic Bilbao, but crumbled defensively in the next match against Nuno Espirito Santo’s exciting yet youthful Valencia side and they are yet to recover. A goalless draw at home to strugglers Levante UD was followed this weekend by a 2-2 draw with Barça’s city rivals, RCD Espanyol.

Twice Espanyol took the lead, and yes, twice Malaga fought back, but their late equaliser wasn’t particularly merited; they were wasteful throughout and can count themselves somewhat fortunate to have stolen a point. Up against Luis Enrique’s new-look, ruthless FC Barcelona, Malaga cannot afford a repeat. We’ve seen already this season that goals come at an absolute premium against the Blaugrana; if Malaga creates chances, they will need to convert them.

And let’s be honest, Malaga are ill-equipped to do just that. In 360 minutes of football this season, their collective front-line is yet to score a single goal. Roque Santa Cruz, Juanmi, Samu Garcia and more; all without a goal to their name. Instead that burden has been carried by the midfield and given that they will likely be preoccupied with neutralising the Barça threat tomorrow, the out-of-form strikeforce simply has to step up.

So, while this may be the Blaugrana’s second successive away fixture in a short space of time, and while talismanic stars Ivan Rakitić and Neymar may be at less than 100%, or may even miss the game altogether, there’s every reason to be optimistic that Barça can pick up their sixth successive victory, possibly keeping another clean sheet in the process.

Right now, FC Barcelona are feeling confident and from a Malaga perspective, that might just be the scariest thought of all...

TEAM NEWS

BARCELONA

The good news is that previous injury doubts Neymar and Ivan Rakitić rejoined training today and therefore are in line to feature tomorrow in what is traditionally one of the trickier trips on the La Liga calendar. However, Rafinha Alcântara continues to train independently as he recovers from a muscle injury while summer signing Thomas Vermaelen does not yet have medical clearance to return to action.

Consequently, B team players Sandro and Munir continue to train with the senior squad; not that they are making up the numbers – we established long ago that both Sandro and Munir have a lot to offer the first team. Indeed, the weekend’s win over Levante provided us with the latest proof of that, as Sandro came off the bench to great effect, scoring a goal and playing a pivotal part in the build-up to another.

With so many players in form, Luis Enrique truly is spoilt for choice as he prepares to select his latest starting XI for this trip to Malaga; from his goalkeeper right down to the final attacker, Enrique has a plethora of options at his disposal and there really is no right or wrong answer.

Therein lies the magic of Enrique thus far: no matter what decision he takes, he can do no wrong and long may it continue.

Claudio Bravo will start in goal searching for his fifth successive clean sheet, a record that if matched would surely be amongst the longest such streaks of his career to date. In four previous La Liga appearances for the Blaugrana, Bravo is yet to put a single foot wrong, recovering from a somewhat shaky preseason to firmly establish himself as Barça’s undisputed domestic number one.

With a pass completion rate of around 70%, Bravo has, in that respect at least, improved upon Victor Valdés’ record over the final two seasons of his stint in Catalunya and if these early signs are anything to go by, he could well eclipse the Catalan from a goals conceded perspective as well. At the moment, Marc-André ter Stegen can barely get a look in, such has been the Chilean’s confidence between the sticks.

However, it’s not just down to the goalkeeper; as usual, the defense played a major role in securing those clean sheets and their improvement relative to last season has been one of the most marked positives of Enrique’s reign. The depth will only improve with Vermaelen’s return to fitness, but even at present, the foursome of Javier Mascherano, Jeremy Mathieu, Gerard Piqué and Marc Bartra can collectively do no wrong at the back.

Even when one makes a misstep, as they have all done at times this young season, another has moved swiftly in to cover – and all four have in general, looked sharp when called upon this campaign. As such, there really is no wrong answer to tomorrow’s selection. Gerard Piqué could and perhaps should be recalled, especially if Roque Santa Cruz leads the Malaga attack as expected – while either Javier Mascherano or Jeremy Mathieu could quite ably partner the Catalan.

That of course discounts young Marc Bartra; after an impressive end to the previous campaign under Gerardo Martino, many Culés tipped Bartra for stardom and an immediate ascension to the starting line-up – particularly after Barça failed in their bid to bring in a "marquee" defensive signing. He certainly has the talent, but for whatever reason, Lucho has yet to give him a chance.

Without all the facts, we can only but speculate as to his reasoning; but based on the cornerstones of Enrique’s coaching style, one must assume that Bartra is not training as well as he could be, or at least not as well as model professional, Javier Mascherano and summer signing, Jeremy Mathieu. Given time, Bartra will surely get and earn his chance in the starting line-up, but for now it’s important he remains patient and gives it his all when he is gifted a rare chance as a starter.

At full-back, Martin Montoya may rotate back into the line-up in place of Dani Alves; certainly most Culés would agree with that decision – although I’m not entirely sure why, as Alves didn’t play badly against Levante. I remain adamant that his crossing is a by-product of a lack of movement in the attacking third, not to mention good defending by the opposing backlines.

During the Manita victory over Levante, I counted two or three occasions where Alves tried to pick out his usual partner in crime, Lionel Messi, with an aerial ball or a cut-back, only for his passes to be intercepted and cleared by the Levante defense. It’s not that Dani didn’t or perhaps more pertinently would not have found his target, it’s just that Levante were reading the danger well. At least that’s my opinion, although I know that the public opinion of the outspoken Brazilian isn’t going to change any time soon.

Jordi Alba will likely retain his place at left-back after a dominant display against Levante; over the course of the 90 minutes, Alba scurried up and down the line to great effect, providing an assist for Pedro’s tap-in and Barça’s fourth of the evening. That being said, he did take a knock towards the end of the match and while I haven’t seen anything to suggest that he is a doubt for tomorrow’s game, don’t be too surprised if we see Montoya or Adriano fill in to allow Alba a chance to rest ahead of another busy week of matches.

In midfield, Sergio Busquets will start at pivote as he looks to continue his red-hot streak in which he too can seemingly do no wrong. Yes, he picked up a booking for a poor challenge at the weekend, but that’s about it in four matches – and let’s face it, the positives (i.e. his pressing and subsequent passes to Lionel Messi) more than make up for that.

With a hard-working midfield "partner" in Ivan Rakitić, some pundits, such as Barcelona-based Graham Hunter argue that Busquets has been liberated this season by the Croat’s arrival, as his reduced defensive workload has enabled him to focus energy and attention on breaking down defenses at the other end of the field. That too goes some way to explaining Luis Enrique’s hesitance to deploy Xavi in midfield; in this system at least, Rakitić is simply the better option.

And that is no disrespect to Xavi; rather it’s the highest praise we can reserve for Rakitić, who is undoubtedly the fulcrum, the metronome, the focal point of Barça 2.0. An all-action display against Levante saw Rakitić compete for his first Man of the Match award since his arrival from Sevilla, but in truth, there’s not been a single match this season where Rakitić has not been one of the best performers.

Certainly, I wouldn’t be the only one who has forgotten all about Cesc Fàbregas...

Andrés Iniesta will occupy the other midfield berth, assuming Rakitić has shaken off his knock. Indeed, Iniesta will start irrespective of that, but of course Xavi will be his partner if Ivan isn’t fully fit and his role will change accordingly. In their brief spell together against Levante, the Xavi-Iniesta combo looked as good as ever, but it is tough to read much into that given the calibre of the opposition, the scoreline at the time and the aforementioned brevity of the stint.

In attack, Pedro and Lionel Messi should continue together after each grabbing a goal against Levante in that emphatic away victory, but there are question marks surrounding Neymar’s fitness after he took a knock in the win. On the night, the Brazilian seemed anxious to return to the game after spending a long period down and receiving treatment. The former would indicate that he is fine to play tomorrow, the latter and indeed his omission from training after the game would suggest that he is not.

Luis Enrique has a couple of options: first, he could play it conservative and rest Neymar. If necessary, we know that the talented forward can make an impact off the bench, and it’s not like Sandro or Munir are incapable of contributing as starters. The second option is to play Neymar as usual; he’s in great form and his presence in the frontline could be the difference-maker against this Malaga defense.

What would you do?

MALAGA

Despite his heroics at the FIFA World Cup this summer, Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa is yet to start for Los Boquerones as Javi Gracia continues to count upon former Espanyol shot-stopper, Carlos Kameni. Indeed, Gracia hasn’t really made any major decisions of note since his arrival this summer, at least from a tactical or selection standpoint; it’s largely the same squad and team we faced last year.

Indeed, from game-to-game, Gracia isn’t a big fan of making many changes at all; he’s selected the same squad for tomorrow’s match against the league leaders and it would be a surprise if he made more than a couple of changes to his starting line-up from the 2-2 draw with Espanyol.

FORM GUIDE

Barcelona: WWWWWW

Malaga: WLWLDD

LAST MEETING

FC Barcelona 3-0 Malaga CF – 26th January 2014 – La Liga

Gerard Piqué, Pedro Rodriguez and Alexis Sánchez were the scorers as Barça cruised to victory at the Camp Nou against Bernd Schuster’s men, who lost Roque Santa Cruz to injury early in the first-half.

LIKELY LINE-UPS

Barcelona (4-3-3): Bravo; Montoya, Piqué, Mascherano, Alba; Busquets, Rakitić, Iniesta; Pedro, Messi, Neymar

Malaga (4-2-3-1): Kameni; Rosales, Sánchez, Weligton, Antunes; Darder, Camacho; Horta, Alberto, Juanmi; Santa Cruz

MATCH PREDICTION

This is one of those trips that looks tougher on paper, but has typically been easy for the Blaugrana with Barça picking up seven straight wins at La Rosaleda. Look for Enrique’s side to make that eight tomorrow; I’m going for a 4-0 Barça win.