Barcelona, Malaga and 7 Points from La Liga This Week

This may have been one of the longest weeks in history for Barcelona and Real Madrid fans.

After fans of both clubs watched their team get knocked out of the Champions League last week, all they really wanted was to forget it.

This weekend's matches were a way to put some new imagery in the minds of fans and, if lucky, even see their team get back to winning.

Win they did—and win big!

But while those matches were important for getting over the past, there were far bigger matches that provided signs of a promising future.

When third-place Valencia visited fourth-place Malaga, it provided an opportunity for Malaga to officially make their mark on the league.

A victory would move them level on points and give them much-needed confidence before traveling to Camp Nou Wednesday.

Levante won all three points to keep pressure on the Andalusians, but the other Champions League contenders did not fare so well.

What follows are seven points to take away from La Liga this weekend.

That Is How to Respond

Both Real Madrid and Barcelona were eliminated from the Champions League last week.

What better way to try and forget about that than to score a combined 10 goals against the next opposition?

Against Sevilla, Jose Mourinho chose not to rest his key players—to the surprise of very few—in order to get maximum points from Sevilla.

I would say that Jose wanted to force his players to forget about last week's Champions League exit by playing, but he has not really rotated all season, so that may be too much credit.

The result was a 3-0 victory that was over before halftime. Ronaldo opened the scoring in the 19th minute to give him a two-goal advantage over Lionel Messi in the Pichichi race.

However, Messi would respond and make up the lost goal just a few hours later.

Barcelona bounced back from their Champions League exit by trouncing Rayo Vallecano in Madrid. Messi scored two goals and assisted three more. The final score was 7-0.

For two teams that expected to be in the Champions League final but fell short, these types of victories will do little to ease their pain, but I am sure it felt good to take a bit of frustration out on these poor defenses.

Pedro Should Have Played Against Chelsea

Pedro is back! After a lengthy injury layoff and a slow start since coming back, Pedro has finally found his groove. Against Rayo Vallecano, he scored two goals and assisted two more.

Which brings up the question, why did he not play in any of Barcelona's three matches over the last two weeks?

Pedro was missing from Pep Guardiola's starting 11 in both Champions League matches against Chelsea as well as el Clasico. Why?

Before the Chelsea match, Pedro had finally begun regaining his top form after recovering from an injury that forced him to miss half the season. He had scored two goals in three games and was looking confident.

In previous seasons at Barcelona, Pedro has developed a reputation for scoring in big matches, getting on the sheet in the Champions League final, Clasicos, and other important fixtures.

So why did he not get a single minute in Barcelona's most difficult and important three-game stretch of the season?

He was not injured. He was in good form. There have been no rumors of a bust-up with Guardiola. He should be trusted in these types of matches.

I think having him line up as a true third forward would have been that extra dynamic and final attacking threat that Barcelona lacked in all three matches.

We will always be left to wonder what effect Pedro could have had on Barcelona's title chase in Europe and Spain.

Raul Garcia Can Replace Diego

Is this the same Raul Garcia we knew at Atletico Madrid? Is this the same man who, in four seasons at Atletico Madrid, could only manage seven goals?

What a truly incredible season for Raul!

After being sent on loan to his former club, Raul Garcia has emerged as one of the most dangerous midfield threats in the entire league.

Against Villarreal, he saved the match for Osasuna with this beautiful volley.

That shot gave him 10 goals on the season. That ties him with Xavi for the most goals by a midfielder in La Liga. That is also double the number he scored in his best season at Atletico.

He also has eight assists on the year. That is more than any player outside of Real Madrid and Barcelona besides Jesus Navas.

Garcia has done this without Iniesta or Mezut Ozil providing for him and without Messi or Ronaldo to finish his passes.

Atletico Madrid expressed some worry at the beginning of the season that losing Diego this summer would hurt the midfield, but Raul is putting those fears to rest.

If the 25-year-old can replicate this form next season, Atletico would have that midfield scoring threat that they have been searching for over the last four seasons.

Malaga Deserves a Champions League Spot

Against Valencia, Malaga showed that we are perhaps seeing a changing of the guard in La Liga.

Valencia has been recognized as the third best team in Spain for years now. After their latest loss, we may be seeing the end of that era.

Malaga showed that they are ready to take the next step in their journey towards contention. In arguably the biggest match in club history, Los Boquerones outplayed Valencia to move level on points.

Malaga could have won this match by three goals. They took their foot off the gas a bit in the second half, but they were always the most dominant side. The scoreline is a bit flattering for Valencia.

Camacho scored the winner, but Isco matched him with a man of the match performance. He was constantly threading Valencia's defense and taking shots from outside the box.

Santi Cazorla furthered proved that he has been one of the very best midfielders in Spain this season. He hit the post with a beautiful shot from outside the box just 10 minutes from time.

Cazorla has actually scored more goals from distance than any other player in La Liga this season—eight times.

With such a huge moral win against their rivals, Malaga may be inspired enough to take a point from Barcelona next weekend.

It will be a huge, difficult battle and Barcelona will be heavy favorites, but getting any points would all but seal a Champions League berth for Malaga.

Atletico Madrid on the Verge of Missing Out

It was the same old story for Atletico Madrid this week against Betis.

Atletico controlled much of the match just to have a single 5-10 minute window cost them points. Diego Simeone must be wondering how they failed to win their fifth straight.

Koke had given Madrid the lead and Los Rojiblancos were just five minutes from time when three points were lost. They were minutes away from drawing within three points of a Champions League spot.

Then Arda Turan was removed and Betis scored two goals in two minutes. Just like that, Atletico's Champions League hopes were stolen from them.

For 86 minutes, Atletico was the better team. But a lapse of just two minutes proved to be all that Betis would need to capitalize. Once again, concentration cost Atletico.

Fortunately for Atletico, Falcao continued his incredible first season with a header in the 94th minute, but all three points should have gone to Madrid.

Even with a point salvaged, this lapse may cost them a place in the top four. With just three games left, Atletico is six points out of fourth place.

Their big match against fourth-place Malaga next weekend could now decide their fate for next season.

Already Lost for Athletic Bilbao?

Just as with Atletico, the same old problems have likely cost Bilbao a chance to play in the Champions League. The difference for Athletic Club is that the same old problem was not focus, but depth.

Against relegation-fighting Zaragoza, Marcelo Bielsa chose to rest Fernando Llorente, Javi Martinez, Susaeta and Iker Muniain after an emotional win over Valencia in the Europa League semifinals.

At full strength, Bilbao is good enough to hang with almost any team in Europe. It boasts one of the best midfields on the continent. But the quality of depth is severely lacking.

The loss puts Athletic Club seven points back of fourth place with three games to go and a very tough schedule ahead.

Now they have to play Real Madrid, Getafe and the Europa League final against Atletico—all in seven days. The final will be the focus, so Bilbao's place in the league is likely to suffer.

It seems that Bielsa is choosing European success over a chance at the Champions League next season. Fans will surely have something to say about that decision.

One Down, Two to Fight

While Bilbao suffered from a lack of depth, we have to give the praise to their opponent as much as criticize Athletic Club.

Barely a month ago, Zaragoza was a team in danger of being the lowest scoring team with the lowest point total in league history. Now, a revival has taken them to the edge of safety.

That fight continued against Bilbao with a 2-0 victory that could have been much worse.

After beating the likes of Bilbao, Atletico and Valencia in the last month, this club has shown that they simply will not quit.

They are not the only ones fighting to avoid relegation. After outclassing Espanyol in Barcelona, Sporting showed a touch of late-season grit as well.

Both clubs are now four points away from Villarreal, who drew Osasuna over the weekend. Gijon and Villarreal are now set up for quite the showdown this weekend.

While there are still very slim hopes for these two clubs, the worst was realized for Racing this weekend. Antonio Griezman doomed the club with a brace as Racing lost 3-0 to Sociedad.

Despite receiving a new billionaire owner last summer, Racing's 10-year run in La Liga will end in less than a month.

Mid-Week Preview

La Liga has a quick turnaround of just three days before the next round of fixtures.

The big match will be Malaga visiting Barcelona. Malaga will try to stop a very angry Barcelona side that will try finishing with a bang.

They will need to stop Messi from repeating his three-goal performance from their last meeting. If Malaga can somehow get points from this match, they can just hold off Levante for fourth.

Barcelona's rivals have a tough match of their own. Real Madrid will travel to San Memes to take on what should be a well-rested Bilbao side gearing up for a Europa League final a week later.

Beyond these two, Zaragoza will try to avoid relegation when they take on Levante in the north of Spain. They will also be hoping for a draw between Sporting and Villarreal.

Valencia will also hope to maintain third place when they welcome Osasuna to La Mestalla. Atletico Madrid will also try to rebound from a disappointing draw against Real Sociedad.

There are only three matches left in La Liga, and this week holds some key battles. Be sure to tune in!