England's David Howell believes that a solid final round of 69 will see him well placed to be in with a chance of lifting the Open de Espana title.

The 39-year-old currently sits joint top of the leaderboard with James Morrison after opening up a two-shot lead over the rest of the field, and feels that a consistent final round will leave him firmly in contention.

"Someone will have to play very well to shoot 68 or better on Sunday. The course is getting firmer and firmer and it's a real challenge," Howell told Sky Sports.

"If the conditions are the same, which I think they're going to be, anything under par from the leading groups will be a very good effort and 69, you'd feel very hard done by not to get the job done with that."

Howell has recorded five wins on the European Tour since turning pro in 1995, with his most recent win coming at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in 2013.