Storylines to Follow in La Liga This Weekend: Real Madrid Face Fight for Points
La Liga is heading into the last weeks of the 2014-15 season, with just six fixtures left for each team in the campaign.
We have taken a look at the matches for Gameweek 32 and assessed where the key battles to watch are, where the biggest impact on the league table could come from and who needs to bounce back from poor runs. The title race, relegation battle and everywhere else in between are looked at in turn.
These are our Liga storylines to watch for the weekend.
In-Form Celta vs. Must-Win Madrid
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Real Madrid will be delighted to have gotten through to the last four of the UEFA Champions League, but their Liga title fight is still on the line, and they face a big test this weekend.
Celta Vigo await, back in good form with just one defeat in five and creating plenty of chances in each game. They concede an average of just one goal per game at home in league play this term, have some very much in-form stars such as Nolito and Michael Krohn-Dehli and will be confident of giving Real a tough match.
Carlo Ancelotti's men did well to eventually end their game against Atleti in the 90 minutes, not going to extra time, as they'll no doubt have to do plenty of off-the-ball work in Vigo this weekend, and a win is non-negotiable if they aspire to the title.
El Derbi De Cataluna, Espanyol Hosting Barcelona
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Current leaders Barcelona, meanwhile, won't have too far to travel as they play Catalan rivals Espanyol.
Sergio's team have been very up-and-down this term, going through some awful spells of play and results as well as a few good runs when it matters, leaving them in 10th place heading into the weekend and unbeaten in six... or with just two wins in eight, depending on how you like to look at it.
Barcelona are flying, scoring at will and know that this might be their last big test to overcome in the race for the title. Keep winning and by the time they face Atletico Madrid in the penultimate weekend, it could already be theirs.
The Relegation Battle
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Most weeks of late have seen at least two of the bottom seven face off against each other, providing the opportunity for relegation-threatened sides to break their bad runs of form and pull away from the drop zone, but only really Elche have managed that of late.
This weekend we see Almeria (17th) face Eibar (15th), with what little form there is with these two probably edging the way of a home victory for the former.
Three points separate Eibar from the first relegation spot down in 18th, so wins against rivals remain absolutely pivotal. A couple of victories in a row now could easily mean survival. Elsewhere, Levante (16th) play at Getafe, who are just above the relegation group though not entirely safe yet themselves.
Can Villarreal Find the Back of the Net?
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Villarreal enjoyed a fantastic first two-thirds of the season, but it has all gone very wrong of late. The cups and Champions League spots challenges have gone, and it's just one win in 11 in all competitions now.
Despite the array of attacking talent they possess, fortune and form have seen them score only once in the last five games—a penalty. Luciano Vietto, Gerard Moreno, Ike Uche and Gio dos Santos have all been rotated in the front line, Joel Campbell continues to shoot from all angles from the right and Denis Cheryshev is back from injury on the other flank, but Villarreal just haven't been able to find the back of the net.
They play Real Sociedad away from home this weekend, with La Real on another poor run of their own, having not won in four.
Expect Goals in Sevilla-Rayo Vallecano
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If we're looking for a match that could potentially be one of the higher-scoring ones of the weekend, Sevilla at home to Rayo Vallecano is a good bet.
The Andalucian side, fifth in the table, are the fourth-highest scorers... but they also concede plenty, though that tends to be on the road rather than at home—where they remain unbeaten this season.
Rayo Vallecano go whole hog: attack and be damned, whether it means a 3-1 win or a 5-2 defeat. They rarely draw and would rather risk the loss to go for the reward of victory than settle in any given match, and it usually makes for exciting viewing.
Between Carlos Bacca, Jose Reyes, Vitolo, Alberto Bueno and Gael Kakuta, there should be plenty of chances created and a few goals scored.
A Late European Charge for Athletic?
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Athletic Bilbao's Champions League campaign didn't go so well this term and, in the lower reaches of the Liga table for a long time, it didn't look as though they'd have European football next season to enjoy either.
However, a great second half of the season and some inconsistencies in the teams above them now have them thinking that they could reach the Europa League once again after all, especially with a winnable game at bottom club Cordoba this weekend.
Three points in the Friday night game would put them level with seventh-place Malaga, who haven't won in five and play desperate-for-points Deportivo La Coruna over the weekend. Sixth means European football, and while reaching that level might not yet be on the cards, if Villarreal continue to struggle in front of goal, it would be something for Ernesto Valverde and his side to aim for in the final leg of the season.
