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La Liga Preview: Eibar v Barcelona

Barca will defend a 2-1 lead against Manchester City at Camp Nou on Wednesday in the second leg of their last 16 UEFA Champions League tie before welcoming fierce rivals Real Madrid next weekend.

With the Catalan giants one point ahead of Real in the Liga table with 12 matches remaining, the next edition of El Clasico could be season-defining.

But first Barcelona have to deal with an Eibar side in free fall on Saturday. 

Eibar, playing in Spain's top flight for the first time, have nosedived down the table after seven consecutive losses.

Neymar said the squad are buoyant ahead of a potentially pivotal fortnight and told the club's official website: "We are training hard.

"The way we get on together really helps. There's a great atmosphere [in the squad].

"We are playing our game better every match and we are looking strong."

A small town with a population of under 30,000, Eibar's tiny Ipurua Municipal Stadium has a capacity of 6,000.

Another start for Pedro, whose opportunities have been limited this season after the arrival of Suarez, seems likely. 

All three goals were scored in the last 30 minutes as Eibar's resistance folded in October.