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BARCELONA. — Lionel Messi has agreed a new deal to stay at Barcelona, giving the Catalans a massive boost as they prepare for tonight’s La Liga decider against Atletico Madrid at the Camp Nou. The 26-year-old Argentine superstar has only ever played for the Catalan giants and he will leapfrog Cristiano Ronaldo as the world’s best-paid player with his new contract.
A club statement read: “FC Barcelona has reached an agreement to adjust the terms in the contract binding Leo Messi to the club as a professional first-team player.
“The revised and updated contract will be signed over the next few days.”
Barca were given a boost when forward Neymar and defenders Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba were given the all-clear by medical staff yesterday.
Neymar and Alba have been out since suffering injuries in the King’s Cup defeat by Real Madrid on April 16, while Pique has not played since the Champions League quarter-final, first leg against Atletico on April 1.
“The three players have accelerated their recuperation from their respective injuries in the past week so that they can be available to the coaching staff for the Atletico game,” Barca said on their website (www.fcbarcelona.es).
“After a few days working on the sidelines, Pique, Jordi Alba and Neymar joined the group again,” they added.
Tonight’s clash will be only the third “winner-takes-all” match on the final day of the campaign in La Liga history and the first since 1951.
Atletico, seeking their first title since 1996, are top on 89 points, with Barca, chasing their fifth crown in six years, second on 86.
A win or a draw would be enough for Atletico, while Barca need to beat the Madrid club to triumph by virtue of a superior head-to-head record, used to separate teams if they finish level on points.
Xavi was among a number of players who claimed Barca’s chance had gone with a 2-2 draw at home to Getafe two weeks ago, but a remarkable end to the tightest title race in years in Spain in which the top three have failed to win in their last seven combined games has gifted the Catalans a second chance to be champions.
“We thought that we didn’t have a chance and perhaps we threw the towel in too soon,” said the Spanish international.
“We thought the league was lost, but these things happen in football and now we have everything in our favour to win. It is a very important title and we need to be united. It is a historic opportunity. It will be a spectacular finale
“We have a great generation of players. This is a unique match, a unique opportunity which may never come round again. It would be the icing on the cake for this generation to play in such a vital match.”
Atletico are hopeful their own Brazilian-born star striker Diego Costa will be fit after he missed last weekend’s 1-1 draw at home to Malaga with a hamstring problem.
“We aren’t under pressure, we have a great responsibility. We have overcome very difficult teams in the league and the Champions League and we are in a very important moment in the history of the club,” he told the club’s website.
“It hasn’t been easy, but we have got here with a lot of hard work and now we need to finish off the season in style.
“I think the game will be like the others against Barcelona this season. Barcelona are one of the best teams in the world. They have great quality and almost never lose the ball.
“They are playing at home and know they have the league in their hands, but it will be a game in which we will defend very strongly and look to counter-attack, while they’ll want possession and control of the game.”
There are also issues to be resolved at the bottom on the table on Sunday as Osasuna, Valladolid and Granada look to avoid joining Real Betis in being relegated.
Osasuna must beat Betis to have any chance of staying up and hope Valladolid beat Granada.
Valladolid need to win and hope Osasuna don’t to survive, while a point will be good enough for Granada to maintain their place in the top flight.
Fixtures Today
Real Madrid v Espanyol (4pm)
Barcelona v Atletico Madrid (6pm)
Valencia v Celta Vigo (8pm)
Tomorrow
Real Sociedad v Villarreal (1200)
Almeria v Athletic Bilbao (6pm)
Valladolid v Granada (6pm)
Osasuna v Real Betis (6pm)
Rayo Vallecano v Getafe (6pm)
Sevilla v Elche (8pm). — Mailonline/Reuters.
Online Reporter