Barcelona goes into a Champions League match against Panathinaikos looking to rebound from a surprising league defeat that has sapped some of its early season optimism.
The Greek champions visit the Camp Nou stadium on Tuesday - three days after promoted club Hercules stunned the 2009 European champion with a 2-0 victory.
Only days after midfielder Xavi Hernandez said "we have a good team - no, we have a great team," Hercules stymied Barcelona's passing game to demonstrate that Barcelona's squad of internationals may be feeling the fatigue from a busy schedule of matches.
Barcelona, which exited to eventual champion Inter Milan at the semifinal stage last season, features seven internationals from Spain's World Cup-winning squad who returned from South Africa to play friendlies in Mexico and Argentina and a European qualifier against Liechtenstein.
"If you're not 100 percent, any team can beat you," midfielder Andres Iniesta said Monday. "The goal now is to be at our best physically and mentally. Not every game will be like that."
With Lionel Messi marked out of the match, Barcelona also lacked presence inside the area - something striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic could have provided before being sold to AC Milan.
New addition Javier Mascherano failed to impress on his debut with Sergio Busquets sitting out the match, and the Argentina midfielder was replaced to start the second half.
Coach Pep Guardiola said Barcelona could be a victim of its own success after winning a record six major trophies in one campaign.
"Winning everything last year could turn out to be dangerous," Guardiola said. "The day my players don't want to play anymore means there are two problems: either half the team has to go, which is impossible, or the coach."
Center back Carles Puyol returns from a leg injury and could fill in for Gerard Pique, who played on against Hercules despite needing six stitches to his forehead following a run-in. Striker David Villa also makes his European debut for Barcelona after missing out on Champions League play last season.
"With the players we have, if the team plays with quickness and clear ideas, we can score goals," Iniesta said. "With goals, things change."
Barcelona and Panathinaikos are familiar foes, having met four times since 2002.
Barcelona won both of its games at the Camp Nou by a combined score of 8-1, but will be wary of an opponent which has avoided losses in its last three away games in the competition - including two wins, one coming against Inter.
Panathinaikos beat Aris Thessaloniki 1-0 on Saturday to go joint top of the Greek league after two rounds.
Barcelona lost only one league match all of last season, and Saturday's defeat was only the Catalan club's seventh league loss under Guardiola.
"The players have to lift their heads up and carry on," Guardiola said.
Rubin Kazan plays FC Copenhagen in the other Group D match.
