Ultimate Guide to La Liga Weekend: Barca’s Derby and Gareth Bale Looking for 20

The penultimate weekend of La Liga brings a couple of potentially fiery clashes with it, especially at the top end of the table where a win is everything, and a draw or defeat will essentially have season-ending consequences.

For Barcelona, there’s an added incentive to winning their fixture, as they face Espanyol in the Catalan derby.

While winning the game is always a high point in isolation, it would also leave Luis Enrique’s men top of the table with just one game to go—against relegation-threatened Granada.

Despite the poor run of form in April, this game is arguably the last one in Barcelona’s path that could threaten their grip on the Spanish league title.

One more push and good performance, and Andres Iniesta will in all probability be lifting the trophy to retain La Liga.

Even so, Atletico and Real Madrid cannot be ignored or discounted. Both have played a full part in keeping the title race alive, and both must be ruing the odd silly point or two dropped along the way in 2016.

Unlike the past couple of weekends, there will be no leapfrogging to the top for a few short hours this time; all games will be played simultaneously in La Liga, leaving the pressure on for each of the three clubs to focus on their own result and not worry about how others are faring, something which is easier said than done at times.

It’s perhaps worth noting that the last team to beat any of the troika aiming for the title was Valencia, winners against Barcelona four matches ago, and Los Che face Real Madrid this weekend.

Can they cause another upset and knock the title race down to two? Will Espanyol unexpectedly prevail in the derby, or will Atleti be shocked by an already-relegated Levante, who are now playing without fear or pressure?

No other top league around Europe comes close to matching how fiercely contested the title is in Spain this season.

There’s every chance that Barcelona, Atleti and Real all finish their last five games in perfect fashion, true title-winning form from each of them…but only the Camp Nou side would be rewarded in that case.

One more step—perhaps the hardest of their final five fixtures—and the Catalan side will be almost there.

 

Jornada 37 (all kick-offs at 4 p.m. BST/11 a.m. ET)

Sunday

Real Sociedad vs. Rayo Vallecano

Real Madrid vs. Valencia

Villarreal vs. Deportivo La Coruna

Getafe vs. Sporting Gijon

Eibar vs. Real Betis

Barcelona vs. Espanyol

Sevilla vs. Granada

Las Palmas vs. Athletic Club Bilbao

Celta …

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