Barça board the roller coaster

FC Barcelona kick off a momentous footballing week with a trip to Sevilla FC on Saturday, with ties against Liverpool FC and Real Madrid CF to follow.

Massive week
The game at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium will give Frank Rijkaard's men the opportunity to get their critics back on side ahead of the must-win UEFA Champions League match at Anfield on Tuesday and next weekend's Primera División visit of Madrid.

Tongues wagging
The 2-1 home defeat by Liverpool last week set tongues wagging around the club, with some complaining that Ronaldinho was carrying a few too many pounds. The Brazilian's star turn in the subsequent 3-0 win against Athletic Club Bilbao answered some of the doubters. Rijkaard then produced his own masterstroke, fielding a 3-4-3 formation reminiscent of Johan Cruyff's 'Dream Team' in the 2-1 midweek victory at Real Zaragoza that sent the Catalans into the Copa del Rey semi-finals on away goals. "It was perfect," said midfielder Andrés Iniesta. "The tactics surprised us but we knew the cup was at stake."

Eto'o question
Whether Rijkaard will take such risks at Anfield is a moot point, but any thoughts of the UEFA Champions League must be put on hold in Seville as Barcelona look to establish a five-point lead over the second-placed side, whom they beat 3-1 in the reverse fixture in October. The big question is whether Samuel Eto'o will start or be saved for Tuesday. Rijkaard said: "Eto’o is fit but not fit enough to play the full 90 minutes. The medical staff, the player and I have agreed to use him intelligently."

Sevilla trauma
Sevilla's Copa del Rey experience was much less satisfying than that of Barcelona, with their tie at neighbours Real Betis Balompié on Wednesday night being abandoned after coach Juande Ramos was knocked unconscious by a bottle hurled from the crowd as he celebrated the opening goal. The first leg had ended in stalemate. And with a 0-0 draw at Getafe CF in their latest league outing, the Andalusians might have chosen a better moment to come up against former favourite Javier Saviola, who scored nine goals in 29 games and helped to lift the UEFA Cup during a loan spell last season. "I hope [Barcelona] don't have a good day because to tell the truth, they're not easy to stop," said Ramos.