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The road to the treble: 9 key matches to decide Barca's fate

  /  autty

The Treble is on the horizon as FC Barcelona continue along the path to make yet more history. 

Nine victories is the objective as only 10 points are neded to secure the LaLiga crown. The dressing room doesn't want to hear about the points threshold needed and is determined to carry on their winning momentum to finish the season as strongly as possible. The treble is on.

No one believes Barça will slip up in LaLiga. It'd see the team lift the trophy for the 26th time, for the second consecutive season and their eighth in the last 11 years. The objective is to wrap up the league as soon as possible. It doesn't matter what Atletico and Real Madrid do if Ernesto Valverde's side beat Huesca, Real Sociedad, Alaves and Levante. They can even afford to draw one of those matches. If that happens then it'd leave the last three matches (Celta, Getafe and Eibar) with nothing to play for.

Despite the expected changes - and without Leo Messi - it's important that Barça pick up three points against LaLiga's bottom side, Huesca. The only previous meeting in Huesca between the two was in the Copa del Rey and finished 4-0 with Rakitic, Iniesta, Pedro and Rafinha getting on the scoresheet.

Then it's the return leg of the Champions League quarter final against Manchester United in the Camp Nou. The team doesn't even need to win to go through to the semi-finals - a draw would be enough - and history suggests Barça are huge favourites. In fact, in the previous four matches between the two sides to take place at the Camp Nou, Barça are unbeaten (2-0, 4-0, 3-3 and 0-0).

In the semi-finals Barça would face the winner of FC Porto versus Liverpool. The English side are in pole position to go through and, if Barça tie up LaLiga, they'd be free to focus on the two-legged match.

After United, Real Sociedad are the next team to visit the Camp Nou. They've lost their last 20 matches at Barça's home.

Then comes arguably the toughest match left in LaLiga as Barça head to Vitoria to face in-form Alaves. However their record against the league leaders isn't great, having lost 0-6 and 0-2 in the previous encounters.

If Barça win all their matches up to this point it won't matter what Atletico do against Celta, Valencia, Valladolid and Eibar. The chance to officially be crowned champions will come at the Camp Nou against Levante. Once again, the Valencian side's record away to Barça is poor and they've lost their last 16 visits up there: 12 in LaLiga, 4 in the Copa del Rey.

Taking on the Champions League semi-finals with the league wrapepd up would give Barça the best chance of European success. However May will still be an intense month as you need to include the Copa del Rey final against Valencia on the 25th. Barça will be looking to win their fifth consecutive Copa, a feat no one has done before.

If everything goes well then there would be one more major fixture left: the Champions League final on the 1st June. That would be the final stop on route to winning the treble. Copa, LaLiga and the Champions League. This is on top of the Spanish Super Cup which was won last summer.

Related: Barcelona