Out of form Luis Suarez taken off...

Barcelona picked up another win to keep them four points clear at the top of the table, while also ending their recent run of poor results against Malaga, who took four points off the Blaugrana last season, effectively costing them the title. 

This year is different and it's cleat that Barça are more reliable. They don't concede many, they're winning against theoretically inferior rivals and they're leaving no room for surprises. The team has scored 26 goals and has conceded just three, which makes for a better goal difference than at the same time last season: they had scored 29 (three more) but had conced 12 (nine more). 

Barça's biggest strength under Valverde is that reliability, although they're lacking a spark in attack. The injury to Ousmane Dembele has not helped in the final third. Deulofeu, his natural replacement, scored his first goal for the club against Malaga but is not proving a definitive solution. He's not exploded as expected. And then there's Luis Suarez, who's only scored three goals. A poor balance keeping in mind at this stage of last season he had seven. 

Against Malaga, he missed two chances and they keep adding up. This season he's had 32 shots, 17 have been on target and only three have ended up as goals. The numbers speak for themselves.  

Whether it's to do with his new position on the pitch, wider on the left, or his fitness problems, Barça must recover the best Suarez because his hunger will be key in the hunt for trophies. His reaction and facial expression when he left the pitch, replaced by Paco Alcacer, was proof that he's not in his best form. It's clear that Barça are going to need him.