Although it’s true that titles are normally won and lost in the last 10 games or the last month of a campaign, it’s also true that there is plenty of hard work needed to even get into contention at that stage and Barça now enter a decisive few weeks that will define their options come the end of the season.

Four away games

This Saturday, Barça are in Gijon to face Sporting and that is the first of four away games in the next five matches, with visits to Arsenal, Mallorca and Valencia coming up.

Five games in two weeks

The sole game at the Nou Camp of the next five sees the visit of in-form Bilbao on the weekend of 20th , following which the team will have a week to prepare for a hectic fortnight with five more key games - away to Mallorca and Valencia, Zaragoza and the second leg against Arsenal at home and then a trip to Andalucia to play Seville. Five good results in those games would set Guardiola’s men well on their way to their stated aim of being in the hunt for titles at the business end of the season.

Getafe and the international break

The squad will then have another free week before Getafe come to the Nou Camp, following which the league stops for a two week international break, When the players come back from that there will be just 9 league games left, along with the Cup Final and, hopefully, the final stages of the Champions League.