The Clasico between Real Madrid and Barcelona is the main match of La Liga this weekend, which will decide the fate of the title race.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side goes into the game with an eight-point lead over second-placed Barcelona and if they can beat their eternal rivals in the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, they will open an 11-point lead, with just six games left in the season.
Even a draw would be a good result for Madrid, as it won the first league meeting with Barcelona earlier this season, meaning it also has an advantage in head-to-head goal difference.
Real Madrid has the disadvantage of playing 120 draining minutes of Champions League football away to Manchester City on Wednesday, but their morale will be sky high after scraping through on penalties despite being outplayed for nearly the entire game.
Barcelona crashed out of Europe after a 4-1 home defeat to Paris Saint Germain and that defeat seems to have opened some fissures among players, with Ilkay Gundogan criticizing the errors that helped cost them the tie.
Fans have to wait until Sunday night for the Clasico and there are plenty of other key games before then.
Athletic Club Bilbao kicks off the 32nd round of matches on Friday night, needing to beat Granada to close the gap on fourth place Atletico Madrid.
Although Athletic is already assured Europa League football next season after winning the Copa del Rey, but qualifying for the Champions League would mean an important difference in earnings.
The Basque side was frustrated by a dreadful refereeing performance by Cuadra Fernandez last weekend and will face a Granada side virtually assured of relegation, but confident after last week’s 2-0 win at home to Alaves.
Valencia entertains Betis on Saturday in a vital game between two sides looking to qualify for Europe next season.
Valencia’s win away to Osasuna on Monday put it up to seventh, one place above Betis and it is currently in a position that would see it qualify for the Conference League.
A win would put it level with sixth place Real Sociedad, while a win for Betis, who last weekend ended a four-game losing streak, would put it into seventh.
Real Sociedad visits Getafe on Sunday lunchtime and will need forwards Mikel Oyarzabal and Sheraldo Becker to maintain their excellent recent form.
There is also a lot of action around the relegation zone, with Celta Vigo at home to a Las Palmas in freefall after losing their last four matches. Celta is fourth from bottom, but has a three-point lead over Cadiz, who has a difficult visit to play Girona.
Girona remains third after its defeat away to Atletico Madrid last weekend, but it has an eight-point lead over firth place Athletic Club, and three more points against its struggling rival, would move them closer to assuring Champions League football.
Atletico Madrid was knocked out of the Champions League with a 4-2 defeat in Dortmund on Tuesday and Diego Simeone’s side needs to improve its away form in Alaves’ Mendizorrza Stadium.
Alaves was very poor in Granada last weekend, but knows a win would all but assure its survival.
Villarreal’s recent form means it is another side with a chance of qualifying for Europe and its attack of Alexander Sorloth, Gerard Moreno and Alex Baena should be much too strong for bottom of the table Almeria.
This round will end on Monday with Sevilla at home to Mallorca.
