Today’s Champions League quarter-final against Atletico Madrid is the new focus for holders Barcelona, who are trying to forget all about Saturday’s shock 2-1 defeat at home to Real Madrid in the Spanish Clasico.
“That game (El Clasico) no longer exists for me,” Barca coach Luis Enrique said about the game that ended his team’s 39-match unbeaten run in all competitions.
“There is no pain for us or anything else. We had gone a long time without losing (since October), but a defeat also teaches you things.  To win trophies is very difficult, the players know that very well.
“We have very tough matches ahead of us. We have to build on what we have been doing well all season and also see what can be improved upon.
“Atletico are always dangerous opponents since they defend very well and concede very few goals indeed.”
Luis Enrique did not want to use fatigue to explain the Clasico defeat, despite a brutal schedule of three games every eight days all season.
“I don’t want to put excuses. When you’re a top team you have to put up with all the journeys and matches - it’s just the way things are.”
One particular problem for Luis Enrique is that he seems unable to rely on reserves like Marc Bartra, Aleix Vidal, Thomas Vermaelen, Adriano, Sandro and Arda Turan, who have all performed poorly when he has given them the nod.
“This is a vicious circle,” said Catalan radio RAC-1.
“The reserves hardly geto to play, and so when they do they are short of rythm and match practice. Therefore, the coach thinks he cannot rely on them.
“In Barca’s last 13 matches (in the Champions, La Liga and the Spanish cup final), only 13 or 14 players will be taking part.  Obviously those players are very tired by now, after eight gruelling months.”
Atletico are hardly the ideal opposition when a team is tired and jaded, since they fight fanatically for every ball and never give a game up as lost.
Barca have beaten Diego Simeone’s tough team 2-1 twice this season, on both occasions coming from 1-0 down.
However, Atletico ousted Barca from the Champions League two years ago at the same quarter-final stage, drawing 1-1 in the Camp Nou then edging the Catalans 1-0 in the noisy Estadio Calderon. A few weeks later they also clinched the Liga title ahead of Barca with a last-day 1-1 draw there.
As usual, Luis Enrique will be looking to his much-vaunted ‘MSN’ South American strikeforce of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar - a trio that failed to score Saturday for the first time in three months.
“Last season, what gave Barca success was an acceptable defence, a hard-working midfield, plus an astonishing forward line that conjured up many goals out of nowhere,” Catalan television channel RAC1 said.
“That formula has not changed since then. This is not the ‘tiki-taka’ of the (Pep) Guardiola years (2008 to 2012) but instead a more pragmatic approach, with three remarkable forwards putting away the goals.”

Fixtures
(At 9:45pm Qatar Time)
Quarter-final, first leg
Bayern Munich (Germany) v Benfica (Portugal)
Barcelona (Spain) v Atletico Madrid (Spain)