There's more than El Clasico for Liga's 13th round. Eight points away from the top, Villarreal must take advantage of their trip to Zaragoza.
Mauricio Pochettino's Espanyol are one of the main revelations in the tournament, comfortably occupying the 4th position with 22 points. They visit Atletico in a test of fire for their European ambition.
As Barcelona and Real Madrid take off, the rest of the European candidates are left behind with a restless struggle to qualify for Champions League and Europa League.
Real Madrid is the only squad that has gone undefeated so far in the season and their visit to the Camp Nou is to be approached as an early final.
The top is likely to switch hands by Monday: Will the rest of the candidates take advantage of Monday's Clasico to shorten the gap from the top?
Last week's draw against Valencia at el Madrigal was a major setback for Juan Carlos Garrido's Submarines. The top position is now eight points above their heads, but they can shorten such distance by three points as they visit basement boys' Zaragoza in la Romareda.
Zaragoza new coach Javier Aguirre helped los Maños rescued an important point against Getafe on his debut match and will be chancing his arm at home as Zaragoza is in urgent need of a victory to leave the bottom fight behind.
Spanish international winger Joan Capdevilla will be sidelined for at least three weeks as he caught an ankle injury that will stop him from performing the next few games. Young Joan Oriol will take over his position, responsible for assisting on both the attack and defense when needed.
Zaragoza head coach has found in Nicolas Bertolo the driver he was looking. Aguirre is likely to adopt a classic 4-4-2 formation with Sinama Pongolle and Braulio as the lead attackers,
Maurizio Lanzaro and Ánder Herrera, on the other hand, are struggling with injuries and are almost ruled out for Saturday early game.
Villarreal will be missing Borja Volero and his absence will greatly undermine Submarine attack. Marcos Senna and Jefferson Montero will have to control the flow of the ball and force the hosts to withdraw to their own half of the field to to secure the three points.
Gregorio Manzano's Palanganas are standing at the doorsteps of the European qualification and a victory is mandatory for Sevilla if they're meant to show their worth in Europe. Michel's Getafe might finish the week only one point above the relegation line upon a defeat.
Things won't be as easy as expected for the hosts. Brazilian international Luis Fabiano will be sidelined for two or three weeks with a leg injury, while Federico Fazio struggles to recover his fitness for this game.
Defeat against Mallorca was a bucket of cold water for Gregorio Manzano's boys. "Don't fear your rival. Your enemies can see your fear, your insecurity" said Manzano to his players after last week's disappointing performance.
Getafe occupies the awkward 12th position with 14 points. Team's head coach Michel is aware Sevilla will be a tough nut to crack at the Sanchez Pizjuan, though Getafe has returned home victorious from their last two visits to Sevilla ground.
Getafe striker Javier Arizmendi is ruled out with a leg injury that will keep him off the fields for at least a month. An early goal might give Michel's Azulones the confidence boost needed to return home with the three points. Will they succeed?
Quique Sanchez Flores' Colchoneros receive a strong rival on Saturday's night in what could be a decisive game for the European fight.
Atletico's head coach left Juanito and Alvaro Dominguez out of the squad as their performance in the last few matches has been rather disappointing.
This game will be a true six-pointer for both squads, as RCD Espanyol is claiming the last place for the Champions League, one point above Valencia and two above Atletico.
A victory will be decisive for Atletico to claim the fourth position at least for a few hours. The hosts have obtained 10 points in the last four matches played at the Vicente Calderon while Mauricio Pochettino's traveler's luck has been far below the expectations.
4 points out of 18 is the mediocre result of Espanyol's performance outside Cornella-El-Prat so far. Sergio Aguero and Diego Forlan are likely to wreak havoc among Pochettino's back line as them both have shown to be fully fit and ready to put Atletico's wheels back into motion.
But let's not forget Pochettino has also several aces up his sleeve. Argentinean striker Pablo Osvaldo has found his place in the team and his partnership with José Callejón has proven to be solid ground for Espanyol to build a promising future.
"We'll be aggressive, brave and we'll hit where it hurts. Atletico is a highly balanced squad, UEFA champion and fearsome in the last meters of the field. We've the information needed to counter all their strengths in abstract but we need to understand how to put this knowledge into practice" said Jose Callejon.
A victory will be a strong declaration of principles for Espanyol in the fight for the Champions League. Will they make it?
Two newly promoted squads take on each other in a decisive six-pointer for the relegation fight. Hercules' coach Esteban Vigo will have to do without Royston Drenthe, ruled out with injuries.
Occupying the 14th and 15th position respectively, a victory is mandatory for both sides to remain competitiva in La Liga fight. Hercules coach will also be missing goalkeeper Calatayud but recovers Abraham Paz and Sendo Aguirre. whle Luis Garcia lose Sergio and Juanlu for such a decisive clash.
Hercules' main attack weapon is French international David Trezeguet, who's scored over 50% of the goals his team celebrated so far. Nullifying his presence should be one of the main priorities of Luis Garcia's defenders not to be left empty-handed at the Rico Perez.
A draw will be meaningless for both sides and thus we expect an exciting game to be fought in both areas. Who'll claim the three points?
Martin Lasarte's Real Sociedad visit Gijon in great need of a victory to remain competitive in the upper fight while the hosts can fall below the relegation line if they fail to secure the full scoring.
Raul Tamudo is fully fit to lead Real Sociedad attack along with Joseba Llorente. Such overwhelming firepower might be unbearable for the hosts who've conceded an average of 1.5 goals per game so far this season.
But not everything is a bed of roses for the Txuri-Urdin. Paco Sutil resented his injury and will most surely be missing the last matches of this year's fight. Markel Bergara might also be unable to perform with a knee injury.
Manolo Preciado will have to do without winger Diego Castro. His natural replacement -Jose Angel- is also physically compromised and this might be Rojiblancos' Achilles tendon in Gijon.
Gaston Sangoy and Mate Bilić will be missing this game and this might greatly undermine Sporting attack. Will they secure the full scoring nevertheless?
Malaga new coach Manuel Pellegrini has to take on Mallorca this Sunday, whose spirit received a huge boost after they defeated Sevilla at the Sanchez Pizjuan. Occupying the 18th position, Malaga must not return home empty-handed if they're truly determined to crawl off the basement.
Malaga defender Patrick Mtiliga will be most likely missing this game due to injuries, joining Edinho and Antonio Apoño in the list of physically compromised players.
Michael Laudrup recovers Gonzalo Castro for this game and the presence of the Argentinean will strengthen Mallorca's attack greatly.
Scorer of last week's winning goal, Pierre Webó was seen pretty confident for this week's clash at the Iberostar Stadium. "The three points will let us leap forward and open a gap from the other European candidates" said Cameroon international.
Mallorca coach is thinking on deploying his whole artillery against Malaga. Emilio Nsue might join Castro and Webo on the attack to score an early goal that'd render Malaga helpless in the Island. Will they make it?
Miguel Angel Lotina's boys have found themselves in La Liga fight after a disappointing beginning, claiming 10 out of the last 12 possible points. Racing is standing only one point above the relegation line and needs the full scoring badly to leave the bottom fight behind, exchanging roles with Deportivo.
Having scored a beautiful goal against Malaga last week, Pablo Álvarez has earned his place among Deportivo's starting eleven and will be leading the advance from the left wing.
It was thought Alberto Lopo won't be able to perform but his evolution from a muscular fatigue has been rather promising and is likely to be chosen among the starting eleven to visit El Sardinero.
Miguel Angel Portugal has once again chosen Iván Bolado over Ariel Nahuelpan to lead Racing's attack. Papa Kouli Diop and Domingo Cisma, banned from performing, will be watching the game from the bench.
Both sides need a victory badly to boost their spirit for the next few matches. Who'll claim the three points?
Osasuna visits San Mames eager to leapfrog Joaquin Caparros' Athletic, who're occupying 10th position with 16 points. Both Osasuna and Athletic recover their most dangerous strikers (Walter Pandiani and Fernando Llorente respectively) for a clash of consequences unknown at the Cathedral.
Caparros recovers three key players for his squad this Sunday. Koikili Lertxund, Carlos Gurpegui and Gaizka Toquero are fully fit to perform, strengthening Athletic's performance in all fronts.
Not everything is a bad of roses for Osasuna's coach Jose Antonio Camacho. Carlos Aranda and Ruper will be unable to perform, struggling with injuries, but the morale of the players is high and ready to defeat Athletic in this week's derby.
The rivalry between the two teams is strong, specially as they're both so close in the table standings. Are Caparros' Lions ready to send Osasuna back home empty-handed?
Unai Emery's Ches lock horns with Almeria, whose spirit suffered greatly Barcelona's sound victory 8-0 last Saturday. Almeria's new coach José Luis Oltra has a tough welcome ahead as anything but a victory will sink his team deep on the basement.
Valencia goalkeeper Cesar will be missing yet another game as he hasn't fully recovered from his injuries and Miguel Moya, his natural replacement, will be unable to perform. Young Vicente Guaita will have the responsibility for keeping Che's goal shut at the Mestalla.
David Navarro, Mehmet Topal and Marius Stankevičius will also be missing this game and it's yet to see whether Emery will be able to claim the last Champions League place with so many absentees on his team.
The visitors aren't doing much better either. Last week's defeat was a bucket of cold water and forced Juanma Lillo to resign as the team fell below the relegation line.
Albert Crusat, Michel, Santi Acasiete and Fabián Vargas are ruled out with injuries. Argentinean winger Pablo Piatti will have to become Almeria's driver not to leave team's strikers isolated in the last meters of the field.
Much more than three points are in play for both sides, who'll claim them?
As Barcelona and Real Madrid take off, the rest of the European candidates are left behind with a restless struggle to qualify for Champions League and Europa League.
Real Madrid is the only squad that has gone undefeated so far in the season and their visit to the Camp Nou is to be approached as an early final.
The top is likely to switch hands by Monday: Will the rest of the candidates take advantage of Monday's Clasico to shorten the gap from the top?
Last week's draw against Valencia at el Madrigal was a major setback for Juan Carlos Garrido's Submarines. The top position is now eight points above their heads, but they can shorten such distance by three points as they visit basement boys' Zaragoza in la Romareda.
Zaragoza new coach Javier Aguirre helped los Maños rescued an important point against Getafe on his debut match and will be chancing his arm at home as Zaragoza is in urgent need of a victory to leave the bottom fight behind.
Spanish international winger Joan Capdevilla will be sidelined for at least three weeks as he caught an ankle injury that will stop him from performing the next few games. Young Joan Oriol will take over his position, responsible for assisting on both the attack and defense when needed.
Zaragoza head coach has found in Nicolas Bertolo the driver he was looking. Aguirre is likely to adopt a classic 4-4-2 formation with Sinama Pongolle and Braulio as the lead attackers,
Maurizio Lanzaro and Ánder Herrera, on the other hand, are struggling with injuries and are almost ruled out for Saturday early game.
Villarreal will be missing Borja Volero and his absence will greatly undermine Submarine attack. Marcos Senna and Jefferson Montero will have to control the flow of the ball and force the hosts to withdraw to their own half of the field to to secure the three points.
Gregorio Manzano's Palanganas are standing at the doorsteps of the European qualification and a victory is mandatory for Sevilla if they're meant to show their worth in Europe. Michel's Getafe might finish the week only one point above the relegation line upon a defeat.
Things won't be as easy as expected for the hosts. Brazilian international Luis Fabiano will be sidelined for two or three weeks with a leg injury, while Federico Fazio struggles to recover his fitness for this game.
Defeat against Mallorca was a bucket of cold water for Gregorio Manzano's boys. "Don't fear your rival. Your enemies can see your fear, your insecurity" said Manzano to his players after last week's disappointing performance.
Getafe occupies the awkward 12th position with 14 points. Team's head coach Michel is aware Sevilla will be a tough nut to crack at the Sanchez Pizjuan, though Getafe has returned home victorious from their last two visits to Sevilla ground.
Getafe striker Javier Arizmendi is ruled out with a leg injury that will keep him off the fields for at least a month. An early goal might give Michel's Azulones the confidence boost needed to return home with the three points. Will they succeed?
Quique Sanchez Flores' Colchoneros receive a strong rival on Saturday's night in what could be a decisive game for the European fight.
Atletico's head coach left Juanito and Alvaro Dominguez out of the squad as their performance in the last few matches has been rather disappointing.
This game will be a true six-pointer for both squads, as RCD Espanyol is claiming the last place for the Champions League, one point above Valencia and two above Atletico.
A victory will be decisive for Atletico to claim the fourth position at least for a few hours. The hosts have obtained 10 points in the last four matches played at the Vicente Calderon while Mauricio Pochettino's traveler's luck has been far below the expectations.
4 points out of 18 is the mediocre result of Espanyol's performance outside Cornella-El-Prat so far. Sergio Aguero and Diego Forlan are likely to wreak havoc among Pochettino's back line as them both have shown to be fully fit and ready to put Atletico's wheels back into motion.
But let's not forget Pochettino has also several aces up his sleeve. Argentinean striker Pablo Osvaldo has found his place in the team and his partnership with José Callejón has proven to be solid ground for Espanyol to build a promising future.
"We'll be aggressive, brave and we'll hit where it hurts. Atletico is a highly balanced squad, UEFA champion and fearsome in the last meters of the field. We've the information needed to counter all their strengths in abstract but we need to understand how to put this knowledge into practice" said Jose Callejon.
A victory will be a strong declaration of principles for Espanyol in the fight for the Champions League. Will they make it?
Two newly promoted squads take on each other in a decisive six-pointer for the relegation fight. Hercules' coach Esteban Vigo will have to do without Royston Drenthe, ruled out with injuries.
Occupying the 14th and 15th position respectively, a victory is mandatory for both sides to remain competitiva in La Liga fight. Hercules coach will also be missing goalkeeper Calatayud but recovers Abraham Paz and Sendo Aguirre. whle Luis Garcia lose Sergio and Juanlu for such a decisive clash.
Hercules' main attack weapon is French international David Trezeguet, who's scored over 50% of the goals his team celebrated so far. Nullifying his presence should be one of the main priorities of Luis Garcia's defenders not to be left empty-handed at the Rico Perez.
A draw will be meaningless for both sides and thus we expect an exciting game to be fought in both areas. Who'll claim the three points?
Martin Lasarte's Real Sociedad visit Gijon in great need of a victory to remain competitive in the upper fight while the hosts can fall below the relegation line if they fail to secure the full scoring.
Raul Tamudo is fully fit to lead Real Sociedad attack along with Joseba Llorente. Such overwhelming firepower might be unbearable for the hosts who've conceded an average of 1.5 goals per game so far this season.
But not everything is a bed of roses for the Txuri-Urdin. Paco Sutil resented his injury and will most surely be missing the last matches of this year's fight. Markel Bergara might also be unable to perform with a knee injury.
Manolo Preciado will have to do without winger Diego Castro. His natural replacement -Jose Angel- is also physically compromised and this might be Rojiblancos' Achilles tendon in Gijon.
Gaston Sangoy and Mate Bilić will be missing this game and this might greatly undermine Sporting attack. Will they secure the full scoring nevertheless?
Malaga new coach Manuel Pellegrini has to take on Mallorca this Sunday, whose spirit received a huge boost after they defeated Sevilla at the Sanchez Pizjuan. Occupying the 18th position, Malaga must not return home empty-handed if they're truly determined to crawl off the basement.
Malaga defender Patrick Mtiliga will be most likely missing this game due to injuries, joining Edinho and Antonio Apoño in the list of physically compromised players.
Michael Laudrup recovers Gonzalo Castro for this game and the presence of the Argentinean will strengthen Mallorca's attack greatly.
Scorer of last week's winning goal, Pierre Webó was seen pretty confident for this week's clash at the Iberostar Stadium. "The three points will let us leap forward and open a gap from the other European candidates" said Cameroon international.
Mallorca coach is thinking on deploying his whole artillery against Malaga. Emilio Nsue might join Castro and Webo on the attack to score an early goal that'd render Malaga helpless in the Island. Will they make it?
Miguel Angel Lotina's boys have found themselves in La Liga fight after a disappointing beginning, claiming 10 out of the last 12 possible points. Racing is standing only one point above the relegation line and needs the full scoring badly to leave the bottom fight behind, exchanging roles with Deportivo.
Having scored a beautiful goal against Malaga last week, Pablo Álvarez has earned his place among Deportivo's starting eleven and will be leading the advance from the left wing.
It was thought Alberto Lopo won't be able to perform but his evolution from a muscular fatigue has been rather promising and is likely to be chosen among the starting eleven to visit El Sardinero.
Miguel Angel Portugal has once again chosen Iván Bolado over Ariel Nahuelpan to lead Racing's attack. Papa Kouli Diop and Domingo Cisma, banned from performing, will be watching the game from the bench.
Both sides need a victory badly to boost their spirit for the next few matches. Who'll claim the three points?
Osasuna visits San Mames eager to leapfrog Joaquin Caparros' Athletic, who're occupying 10th position with 16 points. Both Osasuna and Athletic recover their most dangerous strikers (Walter Pandiani and Fernando Llorente respectively) for a clash of consequences unknown at the Cathedral.
Caparros recovers three key players for his squad this Sunday. Koikili Lertxund, Carlos Gurpegui and Gaizka Toquero are fully fit to perform, strengthening Athletic's performance in all fronts.
Not everything is a bad of roses for Osasuna's coach Jose Antonio Camacho. Carlos Aranda and Ruper will be unable to perform, struggling with injuries, but the morale of the players is high and ready to defeat Athletic in this week's derby.
The rivalry between the two teams is strong, specially as they're both so close in the table standings. Are Caparros' Lions ready to send Osasuna back home empty-handed?
Unai Emery's Ches lock horns with Almeria, whose spirit suffered greatly Barcelona's sound victory 8-0 last Saturday. Almeria's new coach José Luis Oltra has a tough welcome ahead as anything but a victory will sink his team deep on the basement.
Valencia goalkeeper Cesar will be missing yet another game as he hasn't fully recovered from his injuries and Miguel Moya, his natural replacement, will be unable to perform. Young Vicente Guaita will have the responsibility for keeping Che's goal shut at the Mestalla.
David Navarro, Mehmet Topal and Marius Stankevičius will also be missing this game and it's yet to see whether Emery will be able to claim the last Champions League place with so many absentees on his team.
The visitors aren't doing much better either. Last week's defeat was a bucket of cold water and forced Juanma Lillo to resign as the team fell below the relegation line.
Albert Crusat, Michel, Santi Acasiete and Fabián Vargas are ruled out with injuries. Argentinean winger Pablo Piatti will have to become Almeria's driver not to leave team's strikers isolated in the last meters of the field.
Much more than three points are in play for both sides, who'll claim them?
