Storylines to Follow in La Liga This Weekend: Strike Action or Title Resolution?
La Liga has just two rounds of fixtures to get through before the 2014-15 season comes to a close—but even those games are in danger of not being fulfilled.
At this point in the week, we usually round up the biggest headline-makers, games to watch out for and potential table changes in Spain's top flight, but this time around we only have one place to start: the impending strike, whether it is lifted and, therefore, if it allows the rest of the key elements of the penultimate weekend of the season to take place.
Here are our (potential) storylines of the weekend.
Strike Action: Illegal, Pointless, Annoying, Necessary or Legitimate?
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First things first, Gameweek 37 may not go ahead.
The Spanish football federation has backed a strike by the players' union, which the league says is "illegal," per ESPNFC.
On Wednesday the Spanish courts were set to hear both sides of the argument and potentially decide if the strike itself could go ahead. Even if the court says yes, talks between both parties can of course lead to a solution that both sides are happy with, and the league continues as normal.
If not...Gameweeks 37 and 38, as well as the Copa del Rey final, are in serious doubt.
Atleti Looking to Deny Barcelona Another Title
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A year ago to the very day, Diego Godin scored a priceless goal for Atletico Madrid to give them a 1-1 draw over Barcelona—and clinch La Liga title in the process ahead of their opponents.
Fast-forward 12 months, and the fixture and roles are both reversed: Barcelona travel to the Vicente Calderon needing just one victory to seal their own title. With Deportivo La Coruna to play on the final day, neither of Barca's fixtures are exactly straightforward, but with Atletico having already guaranteed themselves top four, this is perhaps the "less to play for" fixture.
For their part, Atleti need one more win to guarantee third.
Key Relegation Battle: Depor vs. Levante
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At the opposite end of the table, it's all to play for: Cordoba are long gone, but three teams above them are locked on 31 points—Eibar, Granada and Deportivo La Coruna. The latter are safe at present on head-to-head results between the three, but if it comes down to just Granada and Depor, it's Granada who will be on top.
With Eibar in shocking form—four points from the last 51—we can imagine the battle might come down to the other two sides, as well as Almeria who are just one point above.
This weekend, Depor face Levante, who rose to 14th last week after a draw made it one loss in five. All but safe now, Levante could feasibly take their collective foot off the pedal, giving Depor, who ground out a last-minute draw of their own last week, a real chance to sneak just a seventh win of the season.
The Second-Longest Win Streak in La Liga...Granada
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Barcelona have racked up five wins and five clean sheets on the bounce in La Liga, but the only other club to have a current win streak of more than one game is lowly Granada.
The Andalucian club picked up back-to-back wins over Getafe and Cordoba to claw themselves back from the brink of relegation and be right back in the mix. They aren't going to have an easy time of things this week though, playing Real Sociedad away.
La Real have been very middling with their form, but at home are generally strong and organised, don't concede huge amounts—and Granada have only scored 13 goals on the road all season. With a final day home match against Atletico Madrid to come, Granada realistically need to look at getting a result in this match at Anoeta to boost their survival hopes.
As an aside, because it could come down to it, a draw would take Granada level on points with Almeria—and in head-to-head meetings, Almeria would come out on top.
Must-Win Games for Real Madrid, Valencia
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Not all is settled in the top four: Real Madrid need to make sure they win their own match to keep the pressure on Barcelona, especially given the league leaders have such a difficult match of their own.
Meanwhile, the team who probably ended their title hopes last weekend, Valencia, have to secure a result to make sure they finish in the top four and pick up Champions League football next season, with Sevilla still in hot pursuit.
Real Madrid play away to Espanyol, while Valencia face Celta Vigo at home.
Top-Half Scramble: Potential for Rayo to Sneak in
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Finishing in the top half of the table would be a tremendous achievement for some teams, not least of all Rayo Vallecano—who have a great chance to push their claim this week.
Paco Jemez's men are away to Cordoba, relegated and bottom and on a four-game losing streak, a very much winnable fixture for the all-out-attack craziness of Rayo. Three points there would lift them to 49, level with the current tallies of Athletic (eighth) and Espanyol (ninth), with the latter facing Real Madrid this weekend.
Rayo then play Real Sociedad at home, with La Real particularly poor away, on the final day—so a top-half finish is well within their grasp and would cap an excellent 2014-15 campaign.
