FCBARCELONA.CAT

04.05.2010 11:57

Spanish League Preview Week 36

Nick Bedson

With just three games left to play, the only thing decided is that Barca and Madrid will occupy the two top spots, but the European and relegation places are still up in the air and this week’s games could decide the fate of more than one team.

Real Madrid travel to fourth placed Mallorca to close the midweek fixtures tomorrow night and all eyes are certainly fixed on their dog fight with Barca at the top – a battle that all the Barca players and staff are insisting will go right down to the wire- but the rest of the league is almost as tight, with eight teams involved in the relegation struggle and at least one Champions League spot still up for grabs.

Mestalla game key at both ends

The game at the Mestalla between Valencia and Xerez could decide two places, with the home team needing a win to confirm third spot and the visitors desperate to take something from the game to keep their options of salvation open – conceivably a defeat could seal relegation. Valencia have won seven and drawn just one game in their last eight at home, whilst Xerez’s fightback has been helped by away wins at Malaga and Atletico Madrid and draws at Sporting and Seville , with just two defeats in their last six games on the road. Seville will have one eye on goings on in Mallorca, as they go into their game at Racing just two points behind the Balearic team. Racing themselves are deep in the relegation fight, just a point above Tenerife who beat them on Saturday. Seville, who host Barca on Saturday, will be without the injured Fernando Navarro, Luis Fabiano and Diego Perotti.

Valladolid hope

With Tenerife, Xerez and Racing all facing tough trips, Valladolid will be hoping to take advantage when they visit Atletico Madrid, whose performance against Seville at the weekend seemed to suggest they had switched their focus away from La Liga and onto their two upcoming cup finals. Valladolid are just three points ahead of bottom club Xerez, but again just three off Racing in 16th, who they play on Saturday. Malaga are a point below Racing and also face a difficult away game at Bilbao, though Caparros’ team seem to have run out of steam in their bid for a European spot having won just one game from their last six and failed to win their last two at the normally solid San Mames. With their last two games at Getafe and a final day visit from Real Madrid, this could be Malaga’s last realistic chance to take points.

Salvation beckons for Zaragoza

Zaragoza are a point ahead of Racing will be looking to take all three points at home against Espanyol and hopefully lift themselves out of the relegation battle, knowing that with trips to Xerez and a final home match against Villarreal, they have very little margin for error. Sporting, a point ahead of Zaragoza, are at Getafe and with just one win in their last eight games, their form certainly makes them a possibility for the drop. Almeria have also seen their late season dip in form drag them down into the basement battle and they host a Villarreal team who will want to bounce back after last Saturday’s thrashing to confirm their sixth spot. Finally, Osasuna are still mathematically not safe, but they are bound to be boosted by Sunday’s performance, if not the result, at the Bernabeu and will fancy their chances in Pamplona against the plummeting Deportivo, whose defeat against Zaragoza on Saturday was their sixth in their last ten games, with just three points taken from the 30 on offer.