Barca under pressure, Real and Atletico in hot pursuit
Barcelona must win all five of their remaining La Liga games to be assured of retaining their title. The Catalans will attempt to turn their fortune around on Wednesday when they travel to Deportivo La Coruna, whilst Real and Atletico also have the chance to take the lead.
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Messi and his all-star squad have taken just one point from their last four games, after losing four and drawing one – a cruel twist of fate after an unbeaten run stretching back six months.
Last week their Champions League campaign collapsed at the hands of Atletico Madrid, who have also caught up with Barca’s 76 points at the top of the table.
The current champion's lead on goal difference is now hanging by a thread.
To make matters worse, their arch-rivals Real Madrid are now lurking just a point further back, after a formidable run of seven league wins.
All three face decisive tests on Wednesday evening, in a series of matches which could help settle the intense title dispute.
Barca coach Luis Enrique and defender Gerard Pique insist they can and will win the league.
"If there is a team capable of doing it and much more, given what they have done, it is this Barca," said the coach. "We don't have any margin for error, but I prefer to lose like this than win playing badly.
"Football is like this. Sometimes it is marvellous, sometimes it is so cruel."
But Pique himself is not making Barca’s life any easier, as he will miss out on their next encounter through suspension.
Meanwhile Atletico face an equally daunting trip to fifth place Athletic Bilbao, who have their targets set on a top-four finish and a place in the Champions League next season.
But Diego Simeone's men can take courage from the absence of Bilbao's two top scorers, Aritz Aduriz and Inaki Williams, through injury.
"We have the possibility to play an important game in Bilbao and continue competing in the four games left afterwards," said Simeone, who led his team to the title two years ago. "It will be difficult, but we have to do what the schedule demands of us and that is win, win and win again."
In-form Fernando Torres is expected to start up front alongside Frenchman Antoine Griezmann, who boasts 20 goals and four assists so far this season.
Just behind Barça and Atletico, Real Madrid prepare to receive fourth place Villarreal, who trail 15 points between the top three.
Zinedine Zidane’s men will seek to build on Saturday's 5-1 rout of Getafe. But the 1998 World Cup champion has warned Real fans about getting ahead of themselves.
“We haven’t won anything," he said on Tuesday. “We’re in a good place, but we haven’t won.”
As the three-horse race unfolds at the top of the Liga, Barca, Atletico and Real will have to play each game like a cup final.
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