First seven day rest of the season

This is the first time that the squad has been together for seven consecutive days 
without playing commitments. Traditionally, that’s a sign of a good result next weekend

La golejada 1-5 a Cornellà, després de set dies de preparació. FOTO: MIGUEL RUIZ-FCB.

This is the first time that Barcelona have had a full week in which to train for a match. 
Such a  packed fixture list has involved 43 official matches so far, meaning there has not been one 
instance of the players having a full week to prepare for a league game. Of the last ten times that
this had happened, eight of the following games have been won, and two ended in draws.

5 wins and a draw last season

The team had six weeks off last season. And the results straight after were almost always
 positive. There was a huge win at Almeria (8-0) and another at Espanyol, as well as wins
against Mallorca (3-0), Getafe (2-1) and Malaga (3-1), the last league game before going
 to Wembley. The only time they slipped up was drawing away to Sporting (1-1).

Atlético Madrid last loss

The two years before have also shown that a little rest works wonders for Barça. In 2009/10
they made no mistake against Valladolid (4-0), Valencia (3-0) or Racing (4-0), and drew
with Almeria (2-2). They haven't lost a game with seven days to prepare since February
14, 2010. That was against Atlético Madrid, the only defeat in the 99-point season, and coincidentally the next team Barcelona plays this time round.