Storylines to Follow in La Liga This Weekend: Critical Games in Top-4 Race
Atletico Madrid and Barcelona were busy in Champions League action during the week as Real Madrid rested, but all three are back on our screens at the weekend in La Liga action.
We've taken our usual look at the fixture list and picked out the most pertinent narratives and matches that could have a major impact on the remainder of the season—starting at the top but also looking at the top-four race, the relegation battle and a derby game.
Here are our storylines to watch out for in Spain's top flight this weekend.
Get Luis Suarez Firing in La Liga
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Luis Suarez hit a brace against Manchester City in midweek to give Barcelona a 2-1 first-leg lead in their Champions League round-of-16 tie, but he has been criticised by some for not yet settling in and showing his best form in La Liga.
Although he hasn't been at his very best in terms of finishing, statements of him not playing well are purely rubbish. In his last 11 matches for Barça, Suarez has scored or assisted a goal in nine of them—not bad form for a forward who supposedly isn't doing the business.
He wasn't on form against Malaga last time out in the league, but nor was the rest of the team. On Saturday, away to Granada, bet on the goals to flow and Suarez to help put the ball in the net too.
To Cheryshev or Not to Cheryshev
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Villarreal have impressed this season and are fighting for a Champions League place, though they are currently six points off fourth-placed Valencia with little room for error.
To that end, they have a decision to make on Sunday: Denis Cheryshev, a standout for the side this season, is currently ineligible to face parent club Real Madrid, who host Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabeu. The Yellow Submarine opted not to play him earlier in the campaign, as they would have had to pay Real €250,000, as reported by AS, which also states that the clause "will be activated on every occasion he plays against his alma mater."
Manager Marcelino has rotated his side in the league of late, leaving Cheryshev, Luciano Vietto and Mateo Musacchio on the bench. Presumably, the stars will now come back in for the big game in Madrid.
Who Blinks First out of the 'Hopefuls?'
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In a game that is almost must-win for both, Sevilla host Atletico Madrid on Sunday in a key clash at the top end of the table.
Both teams are currently outsiders in their respective races: Sevilla are five points off the top-four race, and Atleti are trailing the league-leaders by seven points. Even a draw here, with just 13 games to play after this weekend, could leave both sides' dreams too far out of reach.
Both prefer to sit in, are compact, organised and combative in midfield and break forward to great effect. Sooner or later, one or the other is going to have to push on to try and take victory, and with Sevilla being the home side, the emphasis is perhaps more on them.
Valencia for 4 and a Question of Priorities
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Valencia are the side in La Liga with the best win streak right now—just three consecutive victories following Barcelona's loss to Malaga last week. Los Che will hope to make it four out of four on Sunday, playing at home to mid-table Real Sociedad.
A win is certainly possible and will be their only real focus, but where do Valencia's ambitions for the season lie? Do they keep hold of fourth place and build for next year or challenge even higher? The fixtures this weekend produce a real conundrum of wishes for the club.
Wins for Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid, combined with a win for Valencia too, of course, would mean they have a massive eight-point buffer to rivals Sevilla, with Villarreal another point further back. Fourth place and the Champions League qualification that goes with it, would be all but Valencia's to enjoy.
However, a Valencia win, coupled with results for Sevilla and Villarreal would mean the top four wasn't quite secure, but they would be level on points with third-placed Atletico, have a potential shot at an automatic group-stage berth and even an outside bet for the title itself.
Too far-fetched for this season, maybe, but perhaps Nuno's ambitions lie higher than fourth this year.
All-Basque Battle
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Looking further down the table, the obvious match to note is Eibar versus Athletic Bilbao, a Basque matchup between two teams level on points.
Eibar's awful recent run now reads five losses in a row and they are sinking rather quickly; they still have a buffer to the large group of teams in the relegation battle, but another couple of losses would soon see that change. They must stop the rot or start panicking soon.
Athletic have not performed anywhere near their level this year, but a few more wins will see them comfortably clear of the bottom half, and it is just one defeat in five for them at the moment. Scoring remains an issue—but so does defending for Eibar.
Points to Be Won in the Bottom 7
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The relegation battle took a swing last time out, as Granada were left adrift with Cordoba at the bottom, those two are now four and five points from safety, while Levante claimed a precious late win to move to within a point of Almeria and Elche.
Two key games at the wrong end of the table see Rayo Vallecano (14th) play Levante (18th) and Almeria (16th) face Deportivo La Coruna (15th).
All points are critical, of course, but games against rival teams at the bottom can heavily influence the shape of the table, not only by winning your own points but denying the opposition a chance to do so too. Form and quality favours Rayo and Depor in those two matches, but the latter in particular could easily be a frustrating draw.
