The La Liga fixtures have been announced for the 2017-18 season. Barca begin their campaign at home to Real Betis (for the second season running) and end it back at Camp Nou against Real Sociedad.
In between, they'll hope to do enough to wrestle the title back from champions Real Madrid. Here are five key fixtures to watch out for.
Real Madrid
(A) -- 20-12-17
(H) -- 06-05-18
The first fixture the world looks to when La Liga eventually gets around to announcing its fixtures is the Clasico. However, after Friday's fixture draw in Madrid, we still can't be completely sure when the first league meeting between Barca and Madrid will take place. The two sides are scheduled to meet at the Santiago Bernabeu on Dec. 20, but that's just a few days after Madrid are likely to have played in the Club World Cup final. Expect a change.
Then, at the end of the season, the Camp Nou meeting could be a blockbuster affair. It's scheduled for the 36th round of matches, so could -- if both teams are on level-pegging -- have huge implications in the title race.
We won't have to wait that long for potential fireworks, though. Barca meet Madrid in Miami later this month and the two teams then do battle over two legs for the Spanish Super Cup in August within three days.
Atletico Madrid
(A) -- 15-10-17
(H) -- 04-03-18
Atletico Madrid have emerged as a real force under Diego Simeone and will once again start the season with aspirations of winning La Liga. To do so, they'll have to beat the best (something they didn't manage last season), starting with Barca's visit to their new Wanda Metropolitano stadium in October -- if it's ready.
The return game at Camp Nou will be played in March and could be squeezed in before a Champions League round-of-16 game for both sides. Barca were held at home by Atletico last season and still hold painful memories from losing the league title to them on the final day of the 2013-14 campaign.
Girona
(A) -- 24-09-17
(H) -- 25-02-18
On paper, Barca's matches against newly promoted teams don't grab the headlines. However, their game against Girona will be the first ever meeting between the two Catalan clubs in the top flight. Girona will host the first game, at Montilivi in September, before travelling to Camp Nou in February.
Girona, with the help of Manchester City's loan players, are assembling a good side, so this may not just be one for the Catalan history books, either. There could be an upset. And keeping in mind what happened against Alaves last season, Barca will be wary of taking their status in the region for granted.
Celta Vigo
(H) -- 03-12-17
(A) -- 19-04-18
Celta Vigo are one of a host of clubs that will hope to be among the group of teams behind the top three. They have also given Barca plenty of problems in recent seasons, especially at Balaidos, where they have won the last two meetings between the sides with an aggregate score of 8-4.
There's also an added factor to the matches between the two teams this season: Luis Enrique's former assistant Juan Carlos Unzue has taken over in Vigo and he's taken the majority of Barca's old coaching staff with him. Pipped to the top job at Camp Nou by Ernesto Valverde, he'll have a point to improve.
Malaga
(H) -- 22-10-17
(A) -- 11-03-18
There are a number of clubs who are likely to finish above Malaga and who will represent tests for Barca -- Athletic Bilbao, Valencia, Sevilla, Villarreal, Real Sociedad -- but the Blaugrana have a score to settle against Michel's side.
But for their dropped points against them last season -- a goalless draw at Camp Nou and a 2-0 loss at La Rosaleda -- they would have ended the season above Madrid.
In fact, in two of the last three seasons, Barca have only taken one point from Malaga. In the other season, they did pick up six points, winning 1-0 and 2-1, but they have failed to score in four of their last six matches against the Boquerones.