Lionel Messi hosted a lunch for the Barcelona squad on Monday. The players, along with their partners, were invited by the Argentine as they geared up for the final push in the title race.
According to multiple reports in Spain, the players enjoyed a barbecue and celebrated their comeback win over Valencia in style. The Barcelona board hopes the players' bonding session at Lionel Messi's house will help the club push for the title with just 4 games to go.
Barcelona are 3rd in the table right now and will be up against Atletico Madrid this weekend. A win for Lionel Messi's side would see them jump to the top, while a loss or draw could end their title hopes.
Real Madrid sit 2nd in the table and a draw in the Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona match is ideal for Los Blancos. However, they would prefer a Barcelona win as they can go top of the table and be level on points with the Catalan side.
Lionel Messi's Barcelona confident of winning LaLiga
Barcelona president Joao Laporta was happy with the club's performance against Valencia. Lionel Messi scored twice, with Antoine Griezmann chipping in with a goal to help the Catalan side win 3-2 at Mestalla.
The president is still confident of lifting the title at the end of the season and said:
"I already said before the game against Valencia that if we win the five games that remain, we are convinced that we will win the league. Well, now there are not five, now there are four [games] that we have left to win the title. I believe in us."
Ronald Koeman is keeping his feet on the ground and believes there is a lot to play for still this season. The Dutch manager wants his side to take it one game at a time as 3 other teams are fighting for the title as well. He said:
"It is a strong championship, with very good teams. There are four teams fighting for LaLiga. If you are not well, if you lack things, then you pay dearly. That is the beauty of this season. There is no team superior to the rest. That shows that it is a very strong championship."
Lionel Messi will be looking to bring out his best once again as Barcelona host Atletico Madrid at Camp Nou this Saturday.