Whilst Barça look to strengthen their top spot in Donosti, the struggle at the bottom, where just 5 points separate 12th from 19th, really hots up with just five games left to play. There’s also what could prove to be a vital game in the race for UEFA spots at Cornella on Monday, when Espanyol take on fifth place Bilbao in a match they have to win to maintain any hopes of European football next season.

Big games for bottom teams

It’s a tough ask for both Real Sociedad (38 points) and Zaragoza (36), who face the top two this weekend, but the clubs around them also have difficult games: bottom placed Almeria(26) could be relegated if they fail to beat Seville at home, Osasuna(35) are at home to Valencia, Getafe(37) travel to Villarreal and Deportivo(38) entertain Atletico Madrid. Malaga(36) and Hercules(38) meet at La Roseleda and Racing (37) face what looks to be the easiest task, at home to Mallorca.

Zaragoza and Osasuna play second and third

It’s been more than 10 years since Zaragoza won at the Bernabeu, but with Real Madrid still reeling from the defeat against Barça and Mourinho resting Cristiano and Xabi Alonso amongst others, their Paraguayan defender Paulo Da Silva reckons they could spring a surprise: “ we’ll go into the game with the idea of taking them on and giving them a fight”. Osasuna are the only team to take fewer points on the road than Zaragoza and that makes their remaining home games even more vital -unfortunately for them, those games are against Valencia, Seville and Villarreal. Valencia themselves come into Sunday’s game in need of a result after last week’s humiliation by Madrid and boss Emery reckons: “we desperately need a win and restore our image”.

Villarreal look to bounce back

Villarreal are another team who come into the weekend on the back of a big defeat – losing 5-1 to Oporto midweek - and Getafe, who’ve not won on the road since December, will hope to catch them at a low point as they begin a tough run in with further trips to the Bernabeu and Anoeta ahead of them. However, Villarreal themselves can’t afford any more slip ups with Bilbao in fifth place, now just six points behind them. Two points behind Bilbao are Atletico Madrid, who visit La Coruña where Deportivo boss Lotina reckons the game is “key” to survival, “if we can win one of the next two or three games, we should be safe”. Racing’s manager Marcelino echoed Lotino’s views ahead of his team’s game against Mallorca: “the three points could give us a very high percentage of avoiding the drop”
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In form Malaga in six pointer at La Rosaleda

Malaga have lost just one of their last six home games and their win at Racing last weekend took them out of the bottom three. On Sunday they entertain Hercules, whose win against Deportivo last week has also given them a glimmer of hope and their leading scorer David Trezeguet whilst admitting the Malaga game is “crucial”, also believes “while we still have a mathematical chance, we have to keep fighting”.