Deportivo vs. Barcelona: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview

Barcelona appear to have recovered from the mini-crisis that haunted the club after the loss to Real Sociedad, and the Blaugrana will continue their 2014-15 La Liga campaign on Sunday when they play Deportivo La Coruna at 6 p.m. GMT.

The Galicians have struggled so far this season but always present visiting teams with a tough challenge at the Riazor, and with the Catalans likely missing a handful of key players, they'll like their chances of coming up with an upset.

The 3-1 win over Atletico Madrid did wonders for Barcelona's confidence, and Luis Enrique was able to rest a handful of starters in the Copa del Rey win over Elche. Barcelona can't afford a loss on Sunday, ensuring the gap with leaders Real Madrid doesn't grow any wider.

Date: Sunday, January 18

Time: 6 p.m. GMT/1 p.m. ET

Venue: Estadio Municipal de Riazor, La Coruna

TV info and live stream: The match will be broadcast on Sky Sports 5 (for UK viewers) and BeIN Sports USA (for U.S. viewers), with mobile coverage available via the Sky Go app and BeIN Sports' Connect service.

Preview

Andres Kudacki/Associated Press

Barcelona's win over defending champions Atletico Madrid was sorely needed, but the midweek beatdown of Elche was just as important. The squad could have phoned it in, sporting a big lead from the first leg, but instead they came out and gave the fans something to cheer about.

The criticism of both the team and manager Enrique has somewhat subsided since then, and as winger Pedro told reporters after the match (h/t Barcastuff), the Blaugrana have to be remain focused on each task at hand:

"

Pedro: "We took the game very seriously, we got the goals early on and we did a great job. Now we have to focus on Liga game, then quarters"

— barcastuff (@barcastuff) January 16, 2015"

That starts with Deportivo, who are suffering a disappointing campaign themselves but will undoubtedly test the Catalans. With Real Madrid and Atletico also playing on Sunday, dropping a result simply isn't an option.

The hosts will likely defend for 90 minutes, and their cause will be aided by the absence of a handful of key attackers. According to Catalan newspaper Sport, both Neymar and Xavi are expected to miss out on Sunday's match:

Neymar's natural replacement out wide, Munir El Haddadi, has been training with the B squad and likely won't make the trip either, via Barcastuff:

"

Picture: Munir training with B-team this morning #fcblive [via @fcbarcelona_cat] pic.twitter.com/3w4WCKYz3R

— barcastuff (@barcastuff) January 16, 2015"

Pedro could be introduced to complete the attacking threesome, alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. Ivan Rakitic has also put in a series of solid performances, and he should be given the start in midfield.

Offensively, the Catalans have little to fear from Deportivo, who have the third-worst scoring record in La Liga, via WhoScored.com. Breaking down the defensive walls will be a lot trickier, however—the hosts have yet to concede in 2015.

Neymar's absence will hurt Barcelona's creative output, but the visitors have the attacking firepower to bombard La Coruna's defence until it breaks. If the Catalans play up to their potential, Sunday's match should be a routine win.

Final prediction: Deportivo La Coruna 0-3 FC Barcelona

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