Barcelona will need to keep the euphoria in check if they are to hold onto the La Liga title in what promises to be a nerve-jangling final day of the Spanish season on Sunday.
The champions are at home to Real Valladolid and have a one-point lead and the head-to-head advantage over chasing Real Madrid.
At the same time, their arch-rivals visit Malaga, where a victory and a Barca slip up is the only way Real can avoid finishing a second consecutive season without a trophy.
Both Valladolid and Malaga, along with three other sides, are fighting to avoid relegation to the second division.
Last weekend’s nervy 3-2 win away to Sevilla saw Barca’s players celebrating on the pitch having overcome what had been considered the toughest obstacle left for them, but captain Carles Puyol sounded a note of caution. “It’s a difficult game against a side that is fighting to stay in the league. It won’t be a stroll in the park,” the Spanish international told reporters.
“We’ll have to control the anxiety,” he added.
A victory for Real in Malaga would see them finish the season with 98 points which is enough to have taken the title every year since the league began. But it will not be enough if Barca also win to move onto 99. — Reuters