Attacking Messi turns aim to Zaragoza

After breaking the record of goals in a Champions League season in midweek, Lionel Messi turns his attention back to La Liga where Barcelona continue their pursuit of Real Madrid with a home clash against Zaragoza.

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Last month, with Madrid ten points clear at the top and on course for their first title since 2008, Barca coach Pep Guardiola claimed that the championship race was over.

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But Barca have won eight league games in a row to narrow the gap at the top down to six points and, with Messi in blistering form, the Catalan side still hold an outside chance of success.

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Barcelona and Real safely secured their passage into the semi-finals of the Champions League in midweek, with Messi bagging a brace of penalties in Barca's 3-1 win against AC Milan.

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The records continue to tumble for the Argentine, who has scored an incredible 24 goals in his last 12 games and now has 58 in total for the season.

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Messi's brace against Milan means that he now has a total of 14 in the Champions League, which is two more than the record that he and Ruud van Nistelrooy held.

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He is now level with Jose Altafini, who scored the same number in the old European Cup for Milan in the 1962-63 season.

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Messi resumes his battle this weekend for the honour of being La Liga's top scorer on 36, trailing Cristiano Ronaldo by one.

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Barca are up against a Zaragoza side fighting relegation but a victory away to Sporting Gijon last weekend took them off the bottom of the table and coach Manolo Jimenez denies that it is a hopeless task against the reigning champions.

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"We can win although it will not be easy and you just need to look at the statistics to see that Barcelona are superior to us," he said.

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"I am not going to lie and we are going to go out and give 100 per cent, looking to play on the counter-attack. If I felt that we could go out and play them at their own game of one-touch passing then I would be crazy."

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Jose Mourinho's Real are in the midst of a run of key matches but after making light work of Osasuna last weekend and then beating APOEL 5-2 in the Champions League on Wednesday, they are favourites to get the better of an off-colour Valencia.

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The game at the Bernabeu comes before away matches against Atletico Madrid and the Clasico with Barcelona towards the end of the month.

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Valencia remain in third place but the pressure is mounting on coach Unai Emery after a run of five games without a win.

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Malaga's push for Champions League qualification suffered a blow when they were beaten at home by Real Betis - their first defeat in seven games - last weekend.

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They entertain second-bottom Racing Santander on Monday.

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Levante and Osasuna have been the big surprises this season and they currently hold the Europa League places with the former facing a tough test against Atletico Madrid and the latter away to Rayo Vallecano.

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Athletic Bilbao's league form has suffered with their fine run in the Europa League and they now take on Sevilla having sunk to 11th place after five games without a win.

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Bottom side Sporting Gijon, with just one point from the last four matches, play Getafe while Villarreal, a place above the drop zone, travel to Betis.

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Elsewhere, Espanyol entertain Real Sociedad and Mallorca welcome Granada.

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