Barcelona striker Leo Messi stressed that he and his teammates can't fall at the final hurdle as they look to retain the BBVA Primera Liga title.
Barcelona entertains struggling Valladolid this Sunday in the Camp Nou Stadium, knowing that a win will see them crowned Champions with a record 99 points.
Having won away to Sevilla last weekend, Barcelona have everything in their favor, but Messi warned that a Valladolid side that is fighting to avoid relegation will not be a pushover.
"It is going to be hard, but we have done so much and we have worked so hard that now we have only one small step left to take and we can't allow ourselves to fail now," he said in Wednesday's edition of sports paper el Mundo Deportivo
"We know it is in our own hands, but it is not going to be easy because Valladolid also has a lot to play for. We have to take advantage of the fact that we are playing in front of out own fans," said Messi who has scored 34 goals this season, making him the number one candidate for the Golden Boot for the top scorer in Europe.
"I would really like to win it. It would be very important for me and I hope that is what happens," he said.