Barcelona are not where they want to be in league play right now, sitting two points behind Atletico Madrid -- but with an all-important game in hand in their favor. In order for that game in hand to matter, though, they need to keep winning matches -- starting this weekend against Málaga.
Barcelona vs. Malaga 2016 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch online
Malaga are playing host to the giants of La Liga, hoping to earn an upset and knock them down a peg.
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Los Boquerones just had a winning streak snapped recently, and while they’re sitting much lower in La Liga than they’d like to at 12th place. They’re still a fairly good side, but had a terrible start to the season that they’ve only recently been recovering from. An upset at home over Barcelona would be just the kick-start to their season that they need -- though obviously that’s a monstrously difficult task far easier said than done. Still, Barcelona have been vulnerable on the road at times this season, and if Malaga can catch them off guard one more time then their fans will be in for a very, very fun game.
Key player -- Arda Turan (Barcelona)
Turan has already been making a marked impact for Barcelona since finally getting to play this month, using his energy and quality out wide to help bring a new element to Barcelona’s attack. It’s not as though they needed another weapon, but now that they’ve got one he’s going to be a menace to the rest of La Liga once more.
Key matchup -- Ignacio Camacho (Málaga) vs. Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona)
Malaga rely heavily on Camacho to help control their midfield, both in possession and in defense. He’s going to be a busy man, especially when he has to square off with Rakitic. The Croatian is incredibly active in all phases of the game, and an understatedly core element of how Barcelona play. Camacho is going to have his hands full keeping him in check, but if he pulls it off it will be a huge blow to Barcelona’s game plan.
Málaga injuries and suspensions
Out: Arthur Boka, Flavio Ferreira, Juan Carlos
Barcelona injuries and suspensions
Out: Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba, Rafinha In doubt: Alexis Vidal
Match Date/Time: Saturday, 10 a.m. ET, 4 p.m. local
Venue: Estadio La Rosaleda, Málaga, Spain
TV: beIN Sports (U.S. - English), beIN Sports en Español (U.S. - Spanish), Canal+ Liga/HD (Spain)
Online: beIN Sports Connect, Fubo TV (U.S.)
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