Barcelona have managed to get away with some lackluster displays recently and today's visit of struggling Deportivo La Coruna offers a chance to recapture their sparkling early-season form a week before El Clásico against archrivals Real Madrid.
Victory would see Barca move 11 points clear of their bitter rivals before the crunch match at the Santiago Bernabeu on December 23, as Real, eight points adrift of Barca in fourth, are away on Club World Cup duty in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Barcelona are unbeaten in La Liga with a five-point cushion at the top over Valencia despite trundling along in their last three matches, in which they have drawn twice.They were held by Valencia and Celta Vigo, their bogey team in recent years, and their 2-0 win at Villarreal in their last outing owed a lot to opposing midfield player Daniel Raba's second-half dismissal.
Shorn of Neymar's speed and flair, and with replacement Ousmane Dembélé still injured, Barca have lacked the excitement of recent years and become increasingly reliant on the consistency of Lionel Messi to keep them ahead of their rivals.
Barca have developed into a more reliable outfit under coach Ernesto Valverde, however, gaining extra control in midfield and a tougher edge, and Deportivo goalkeeper Ruben Martinez believes they are as difficult to beat as they have ever been.
"In football, the most important thing is results and for me Barcelona are at the same level as before... in fact, they are much more efficient than in other years," he said...