Barca vs Betis preview

An upsetting defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich in the Champions League now has Barcelona trying to focus on on the La Liga title.

Not many people would have expected Barcelona to have gone out of the Champions League the way they did, but after watching those two very one sided matches, Tito Vilanova's side clearly has some weak spots.
Starting from the back, they have been struggling defensively for some time now, but with such a comfortable lead in La Liga, Puyol and Mascherano certainly will not be rushed back. Eric Abidal will likely get the start along side Pique, while Pinto should start in goal for Valdes who is out with a foot injury.
Keeping teams off the score-sheet has not been easy for the Blaugrana, and it could be very much of the same scenario on Sunday.
The Barcelona number ten has finally returned to full training, but his status is still unclear. It appears that his medical clearance will all depend on how he is feeling come Sunday morning. Should Vilanova even risk him if he's not 100%?
It seems like a very bad idea considering Barcelona has an eight point lead over second placed Real Madrid and the Catalans have a game in hand since Madrid played on Saturday. The Barcelona manager was not interested in risking Messi against Bayern Munich, so why would he in a league match at home with such a comfortable lead in the league standings?
Pedro may also be unavailable due to a stomach virus that kept him out of training on Saturday. The availability of Sergio Busquets is also in question, while Cesc Fabregas will serve a suspension after receiving a yellow card against Bilbao last weekend.
Coming off a very deflating defeat against Bayern Munich, Vilanova knows that his side could be in trouble from a mental standpoint. Recovering players after such a terrible two leg defeat is not easy, but these Barcelona players have more than enough experience to sort things out quickly, regardless of the fact they are not used to being in these positions.
Knowing that Betis is still fighting for a European spot, Vilanova is not taking anything for granted on Sunday.
"In recent years they have been a costly team for us," he said. "I have a lot of respect for the work done by coach Pepe Mel. They are daring away from home and we have to play with the knowledge this will be a very important step to a title we failed to lift last season."
The visitors will have something to play for, but a list of injuries and suspensions may limit their options. Midfield Benat appears to have recovered from a back injury which should allow him to play on Sunday, but Igiebor is still a game time decision.
Casto, Paulao and Damien Perquis will definitely miss the match with injuries