6 Storylines to Follow in La Liga for Weekend of February 6-9
Another round of action in Spain's top flight is fast approaching, with Real Madrid's midweek win over Sevilla meaning that all sides are now level on 21 matches played.
Matchday 22 sees a number of key games, including a Madrid derby in which third play first.
We've taken a look at all the most important and intriguing storylines of La Liga for the coming days, taking in everything from that title-race fixture to the games involving sides at the bottom. Here are our six storylines to watch.
Madrid Derby: Can Real Finally Overcome Atletico?
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Atletico overcame Real in the Super Copa at the start of this season, winning 2-1 on aggregate, before also tasting victory in the first derby of the league season, triumphing 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu thanks to a late Arda Turan goal.
Of course, that sparked a 22-game winning streak for Real which has left them top of La Liga by four points at present—seven ahead of Atleti—so the home side must know that defeat here will all but end their title hopes.
As the home team, the chasing side and having already done a number on Real a couple of times this season, Atleti will be very much looking to take all three points. However, Real can play it clever and kill Atleti on the counter if they choose and will have the pace of the returning Cristiano Ronaldo at their disposal.
Will Luis Enrique Rotate Midfield Again, or Has Rafinha Earned His Spot?
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While the Madrid clubs do battle, Barcelona will travel to the Basque Country to face Athletic Bilbao on the back of four straight wins in La Liga.
The front three looks set and are all playing extremely well for the Catalan side, but Rafinha's superb performance last time out gives Luis Enrique something to think about in midfield. Does the Masia graduate keep his place? Do rotations continue, meaning Ivan Rakitic comes back in?
Athletic are aggressive and trying to be compact and hard to play against after a poor start to the season. Rafinha, if selected, has to come up with another big display to continue to justify his place in the team.
Changes in the Top-Four Race?
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Despite their midweek defeat, Sevilla still hold the upper hand in the top-four race and lead Valencia by a point. There is then a gap of three points to Villarreal, and Malaga are a further three points back after failing to win four games in a row at the start of 2015.
This weekend, though, it could all get very mixed up after a consistent spell for three of those four teams.
Villarreal are at home to Granada, a more than winnable match against relegation favourites, while Malaga travel to bottom club Levante, who have lost four of their last five. By contrast, Sevilla and Valencia are both away against Getafe and Espanyol respectively.
Sevilla will perhaps fancy their chances—though Getafe do not concede many at home—but Valencia face an in-form opponent who were only narrowly beaten by Sevilla themselves last time out. This weekend could tell us much about who will make the top four this term.
Battle at the Bottom
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The really important clash among the bottom teams this weekend sees Cordoba host Almeria, 17th versus 16th.
Cordoba haven't won in three and have taken just one home victory all season, while Almeria have lost three of their last four. Strangely, the away team have been more productive on the road this term, so they may have hopes of taking all three points on Sunday.
With most of the other sides around the bottom facing top-half teams, three points in this game would be crucial for whoever takes them.
Seasons Back on Track for Mid-Table Sides
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This weekend presents an opportunity for a number of sides to kickstart their campaigns in 2015 and start looking up the table.
Real Sociedad look more solid but stunted offensively at times under David Moyes. They play Celta Vigo this weekend, who after an awful, scoreless run finally picked up a win last time out. A win for either team will push them into the top half, from which point dreams of Europe could easily start again if consistency is found.
Rayo Vallecano play relegation-zone side Elche, a winnable match that would similarly push them toward the top 10 after three defeats in four halted their progress.
It's all about consistency to escape the lower half of the table, where three or four wins can quickly make a difference between a season being over by March and one that bodes well for the future.
Deportivo's Rise
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Deportivo La Coruna really struggled early on in the season following their promotion, but they have been one of the form sides in the bottom half of late. Only one defeat in the last five has them up to 14th, having floundered in the relegation zone for too long previously.
Goalkeeper Fabricio has been a revelation, new signing Celso Borges marked his debut with two goals last time out and this Friday's game at home to Eibar, who are three without a win, is another fixture they'll look at and believe they can take points from.
If they do, they'll reach 24 points, potentially giving them a six-point buffer to the drop zone. Moving into the run-in to the end of the campaign, they are hitting form and should be confident of finishing the season well.
