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Atletico's Gabi , left, celebrates his goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Atletico de Madrid and Real Madrid at the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, March 2, 2014.
MADRID — Real Madrid's advantage at the top of the Spanish league has been squeezed down to a single point over Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid is only three points behind.
Barcelona can add pressure with a victory at Valladolid on Saturday, a day before Madrid faces Levante. Atletico has a tough trip to Celta Vigo on Saturday.
Here are five things to know about this weekend's Spanish league matches:
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TREBLE HUNT
Barcelona remains in the hunt for the treble despite feeling a wind of change is coming.
Lionel Messi is scoring but, surprisingly, his future remains in doubt as rumors swirl that Manchester City is ready to pay his 200 million euro ($275 million) buyout clause. There are also reports that the Argentina captain's teammates are frustrated by his tendency to disappear during games.
Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino's future also continues to be questioned, and Neymar's arrival has been marked by the saga surrounding his transfer from Santos.
Goalkeeper Victor Valdes had already said he would leave the club at the end of the season, and defender Carles Puyol announced Tuesday this would be his last season with the club, too.
"My generation and the one before don't know about a Barca without Puyi in defense," Barcelona teammate Gerard Pique wrote on his Facebook page. "I suppose nothing will be the same again."
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NO DRAMAS
While Atletico looks to keep pace and Barcelona looks to avoid internal combustion, Real Madrid is remarkably enjoying a season without much drama.
The Spanish team remains in the hunt for the treble with forwards Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale all in good form, and the rest of its squad reinforced at nearly every position without injury worries.
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has even managed to keep his goalkeepers happy despite relegating Iker Casillas to a backup role, although the Spain captain is the team's choice in the Champions League.
It's quite a change to three previous seasons under Jose Mourinho, who took a stab at his players' vanity in an interview this week.
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TEMPER TANTRUMS
Atletico Madrid has had to scrap and fight harder than Madrid and Barcelona to remain in the hunt for the league title, but part of that cost will be felt Saturday in Vigo.
Striker Diego Costa is banned because of an accumulation of bookings, as is midfielder Arda Turan. Assistant coach German Burgos also begins serving the first of a three-game ban for his aggressive protest in Sunday's 2-2 draw with Madrid.
Diego Costa's absence should provide David Villa with a rare start, while midfielder Diego Ribas should get the nod for Turan.
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CELTA'S SUCCESS
Barcelona has played a big hand in Celta Vigo's impressive season.
Much like his older brother Thiago Alcantara at Bayern Munich, Rafinha has been a key driving force to his club's success this season in guiding Celta's attack to put it 11th in the stadnings. Rafinha, who is on-loan from Barcelona, was deemed the league's most outstanding player in February.
Celta coach Luis Enrique is a well-known former Barcelona player who has managed to exploit Rafinha's potential.
Celta has drawn its past two games at Balaidos Stadium while Atletico has lost two straight on the road.
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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ASPIRATIONS
Athletic Bilbao travels to Valencia on Sunday entrenched in fourth place, which secures the league's final Champions League qualifying place.
The Basque team, which hasn't played in Europe's top-tier competition in more than a decade, holds a six-point advantage over neighbor Real Sociedad and is seven points ahead of Villarreal.
"We would have all signed on the dotted line to be in this situation at the start of the season," Athletic midfielder Ander Iturraspe said. "But a lot of games remain, we've still got a lot to show right up to the end of the season."
Real Sociedad faces Rayo Vallecano on Monday, and Villarreal is at Granada on Sunday.
Real Madrid will need no reminder of the threat posed by Levante when Joaquin Caparros' in-form side travel to the Bernabeu on Sunday.
Carlo Ancelotti's side rescued a 3-2 win at Estadi Ciutat de Valencia in October with stoppage-time goals from Alvaro Morata and Cristiano Ronaldo.
They will enter this weekend's game a point clear at the top of La Liga following last week's 2-2 draw with city rivals Atletico Madrid, sealed by another late Ronaldo goal.
Real are currently the form team in La Liga after not tasting defeat in any competition since losing to Barcelona at Camp Nou in October, going 28 matches unbeaten since.
Ancelotti will no doubt be glad to have the gruelling and "violent" Atleti match behind him as his side look to nail home their advantage at the top of the table as the season enters its final stages.
He said: "They tried to impose a violent game. We tried to play and in the end we did it (got a draw).
"The response was good and overall we can be satisfied because Atletico are a good team, particularly at home.
"We're top and that's good. Now we have seven games at home and five away."
Since their Bernabeu defeat to Atleti in September, Real have been irresistible at home in all competitions, winning every single one of their following 15 games on their own patch.
Levante are enjoying a surprisingly good campaign under well-regarded coach Caparros, who has reportedly emerged as a target for former side Sevilla should they opt against renewing Unai Emery's contract in the summer.
A run of six defeats in seven league matches looked to have put pay to their slim European hopes in early January, but they have since gone eight domestic games unbeaten and sit eighth, reigniting their chances.
The two sides go into this fixture on the back of a brief international break and Real's front men were in good form for the respective countries, with Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale all netting during the week.
While Ancelotti does not have significant injury problems to contend with, Pepe is a doubt due to illness, while Dani Carvajal and Marcelo are expected to be restored to the full-back berths.
Caparros will be without suspended trio Pape Diop, Victor Cassadeus and Simao Mate, while Christian Lell (stomach) and Issam El Adoua (foot) are doubts, despite both returning to training.
Argentina's Lionel Messi leaves the field at half time during their international friendly soccer match against Romania at the National Arena in Bucharest March 5, 2014. REUTERS/Radu Sigheti
(Reuters) - Recent episodes of vomiting suffered by Barcelona forward Lionel Messi are "not normal" but they do not affect his performance and there is no cause for alarm, coach Gerardo Martino said on Friday.
Messi was sick during Argentina's 0-0 draw with Romania on Wednesday and the four-times World Player of the Year said it was something that had occurred several times at Barca but was nothing to be concerned about.
"It happens to him regularly and he has even gone to see specialists at certain times," Martino told a news conference ahead of Barca's La Liga game at Real Valladolid on Saturday.
"They haven't solved the problem but it isn't a cause for concern. It doesn't affect him at all in terms of doing his job," he added.
Champions Barca, chasing a fifth title in six years, can pull two points clear of Real Madrid at the top with a win at Valladolid, who are battling relegation down in 18th.
Real are at home to eighth-placed Levante on Sunday, while Atletico Madrid, three points off the top in third, play at Celta Vigo, who are 11th, on Saturday.
Martino has Gerard Pique back after the Spain defender was declared fit by club medical staff on Friday, Barca said on their website (www.fcbarcelona.es).
He missed the world and European champions' 1-0 win at home to Italy on Wednesday due to a minor calf problem.
Pique's international team mate Andres Iniesta withdrew from the squad on Friday "for personal reasons" and has been replaced by Netherlands midfielder Ibrahim Afellay, Barca added. They did not explain the reasons for Iniesta's decision.
With an eye on Barca's packed calendar in March, including Wednesday's Champions League last 16, second leg against Manchester City, Martino said he had decided to rest left back Jordi Alba for the Valladolid trip.
Alba was out for more than two months with a hamstring injury before Christmas and was briefly sidelined by a similar thigh problem last month.
Barca lead City 2-0 from the first leg.
(Writing by Iain Rogers in Madrid, editing by Alan Baldwin)
La Liga Wrap: Barcelona lose again, Atletico go top
8 March 2014
Real Valladolid dented Barcelona's title bid with a 1-0 win, while Atletico Madrid have momentarily gone top after beating Celta Vigo 2-0.
The champions had defeated Almeria 4-1 last week but the score flattered Gerardo Martino's men after a sluggish display and they were even worse at Estadio Jose Zorrilla on Saturday.
Valladolid goalkeeper Diego Marino produced a good performance to continually deny Lionel Messi, while Neymar missed a great chance in the second half.
Fausto Rossi's 17th-minute strike was enough for the hosts, as the Italian pounced on a loose ball in the area following a kind ricochet.
Barca attempted to pile on late pressure in search of a point but Valladolid went the closest to netting in the final stages, as Oscar Gonzalez knocked Vladet Rama's cutback over the crossbar.
The loss leaves Barcelona a point behind Real Madrid in the title race but Carlo Ancelotti's men welcome Levante to Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday.
Real will begin the day in second, however, after Atletico's win at Celta lifted them above their city rivals due to having a better head-to-head record.
Diego Simeone was without the suspended Diego Costa after his yellow card for simulation against Real Madrid was upheld but David Villa ensured his international team-mate was not missed.
After a goalless and unspectacular first half, the former Barcelona star latched on to Jonny Castro's disastrous backpass and slotted past Yoel with confidence.
Celta were still reeling from that opening goal when Villa netted a second, coolly stroking an inch-perfect finish into the bottom-left corner following Jose Sosa's right-wing cross.
Whatever happens with Real on Sunday, Atletico will at least end the weekend in second as they look to maintain a title challenge going into the final stages of the season.
Villarreal's slim chances of securing a UEFA Champions League place took a serious hit in Saturday's 2-0 loss at struggling Granada, keeping them six points behind Athletic Bilbao.
Fran Rico got things moving for the hosts as he slotted in a 23rd-minute penalty after Bruno Soriano tripped Riki and it got even worse for Villarreal before the break.
Rico turned provider in the 33rd minute as he delivered an excellent throughball over the Villarreal defence and Youssef El-Arabi duly found the net, with Granada holding on to the win with relative ease.
At the bottom of the table Real Betis gave their fans a rare win to celebrate as they beat visitors Getafe 2-0, only their fourth league triumph of the season, but they remain eight points adrift of those just above the relegation zone.
La Liga Wrap: Real capitalise on Barca slip-up, Valencia and Bilbao draw
9 March 2014
Real Madrid capitalised on Barcelona's weekend slip-up by beating Levante 3-0 to move three points clear at the top of La Liga.
Reigning champions Barcelona were surprisingly beaten at Real Valladolid on Saturday, and Carlo Ancelotti's side took advantage 24 hours later with a routine victory at the Bernabeu.
Cristiano Ronaldo headed Madrid's opener and then laid on an assist for Marcelo's first league goal of the season.
David Navarro was sent off for a late tackle on Ronaldo before Nikolaos Karabelas put the ball into his own net as the hosts eased to a 16th straight home win in all competitions.
Real's nearest challengers in La Liga are city rivals Atletico, with Barca now four points off the pace in third.
Fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao came from behind on Sunday to claim a 1-1 draw against Valencia.
Ander Herrera struck the post for Bilbao before Valencia moved ahead in the 23rd minute through Paco Alcacer.
The goal was set up by Sofiane Feghouli, who then turned from hero to villain when conceding a 53rd-minute penalty that Aritz Aduriz converted.
Sevilla proved too strong for Almeria, who occupy 18th position following a 3-1 home defeat.
Goals from Carlos Bacca, Daniel Carrico and Kevin Gameiro earned a third successive victory for Sevilla, who sit seventh.
Aleix Vidal pulled one back late on, but the goal provided little consolation to an Almeria outfit winless in four.
In Sunday's other fixture, Espanyol recorded a 3-1 home triumph over another struggling side, Elche.
Fran Escriba's men were given a mountain to climb when David Lopez and Diego Colotto found the net inside the first 21 minutes.
Pizzi popped up with a third before the hour mark, ensuring Juan Fuentes' late own goal was of little significance.
Luis Garcia has left his position as head coach of Getafe after a 12-match winless run in La Liga.
The 41-year-old took over the reins in 2011 and guided Getafe to two mid-table finishes in his first two seasons in charge.
However, Garcia has paid the price for an atrocious run of form that has seen Getafe slide down the table, their last success coming in a 1-0 win over Levante at the end of November.
That dismal spell has left the club 15th in the league, just one point above the bottom three.
Sporting director Toni Munoz confirmed the news at a press conference on Monday.
He said: "We're grateful for his work, he's a great professional and a great person and we want to thank him for the time he's been with us."
Garcia added: "It's a sad day. I hope with all my heart that Getafe continue in the Primera Division."
Getafe meet Granada on Friday and it remains unclear who will succeed Garcia.
Getafe have confirmed the appointment of Cosmin Contra after parting company with Luis Garcia on Monday.
Garcia lost his job after a run of 12 La Liga matches without a win left the side precariously placed just one point above the bottom three.
A matter of hours after announcing his departure, the club confirmed their agreement to bring in Contra as his successor.
"Getafe and Cosmin Contra have reached an agreement in principle to be the new coach of the first team for the remainder of the season and two more campaigns," a club statement read.
The 38-year-old was at the club for five years during his playing career, and joins from Romanian outfit Petrolul Ploiesti.
Contra is due to be unveiled at a press conference on Tuesday.
The Italian thinks his deputy on the sidelines will make a fine head coach in his own right someday and hopes to work on the French striker's confidence
Carlo Ancelotti suggested Zinedine Zidane has helped to coerce the current hot streak of form out of Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema.
The Frenchman has 12 goals in 14 games in 2014 - a stark contrast to his intermittent goalscoring prowess in past seasons when he had competition from Gonzalo Higuain, who joined Napoli in the summer.
Ancelotti, who left Paris Saint-Germain to replace Jose Mourinho as coach, credits Benzema's compatriot Zidane - who was brought on as part of the Italian's coaching staff - with unlocking the striker's confident frame of mind.
"I think Zidane's done fantastic work, especially with Karim," Ancelotti told RMC Sport. "He's communicated a lot with the players and implemented a specific job with all attackers. His work is very important.
"I am very pleased with Zidane. He has a lot of enthusiasm and a lot of knowledge. He understands what is happening on the pitch during a match. I asked him several times if he wanted to play but he told me no! He can still play without problem!
"This is important when you get into a club, to be able to rely on someone who knows the club very well, as I had done with Claude Makelele at PSG."
Ancelotti suggested that the former Juventus and Blancos midfielder will make a fine head coach in his own right eventually, but thinks shadowing him at the Santiago Bernabeu is a great way to build up some experience.
"I think Zidane will coach a club without any problem, or even a national team," he continued. "But it is better to start with a club.
"He has everything to make it happen. He still lacks a bit of experience but this is normal. Otherwise, he has all of the knowledge, personality and charisma needed."
The Madrid boss hopes that Benzema comes out of his shell more in future and lauded the attacking trident of Gareth Bale, the French forward and Cristiano Ronaldo which has been affectionately nicknamed 'BBC' by some Madrid fans.
"For us, Karim is not important only because he scores goals," he continued, "he is important because he helps the team in possession.
"I love the positional ability and the characteristics of the player. He is not just a scorer: he is a complete player. He is not very different from Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who loves to help at the back and is also a team player.
"The combination Bale-Ronaldo-Benzema is complementary. The fact that Benzema doesn't have competition from Higuain this year may have helped.
"I think he can still improve, especially his character, to show more personality. He is a very quiet and shy boy. This is where he can improve."
The Spanish giants have fallen four points behind leaders Real Madrid following a 1-0 defeat, but the club chief is refusing to axe the Argentine
Barcelona boss Gerardo Martino is not under pressure and will be given time to make his mark at Camp Nou, according to club president Josep Maria Bartomeu.
Barcelona suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to Valladolid at the weekend and the result has seen them fall to third in La Liga, four points behind league leaders Real Madrid.
The result put Martino’s future in doubt as it was the Catalan club’s second defeat in their last three Liga matches, however Bartomeu hopes the 51-year-old will stay on at least until his contract expires in 2015.
"Martino has a contract with us until June 2015," he told Cadena Ser. "We would like Martino to remain with us next season.
"We hope he will remain with us for a long time. He is eager to do things well and win."
The president also confirmed that Barcelona will look to bring in at least two new players this summer, with replacements for outgoing goalkeeper Victor Valdes and defender Carles Puyol being the priority.
"We have two definite signings," he added. "One is a goalkeeper and the other one is a central defender.
"Over the last year we have looked at a long list of goalkeepers and we have narrowed the selection of those that are more adequate for the position.
"We have spoken to them. The fans can be calm regarding this."
Atletico Madrid captain Gabi says his side are ready to fight until he end of the season in both La Liga and the Champions League.
The Rojiblancos are three points behind league leaders and arch rivals Real Madrid and are through to the quarter-finals of Europe’s premier club competition.
“We have won the respect of everyone,” Gabi told the media at an event to raise awareness for prostate cancer. “We have a desire to keep our fans dreaming and no one can take that away from us.
“We are a very hard working team and what we have achieved we have earned by working hard. “It has cost us a lot to reach the position we are in now.
“We are where we want to be apart from not being in the final of the Copa del Rey. “But we are in a great position to be able to fight until the end of the season in all competitions.
“I think Atletico have made an incredible effort and now we want to fight until the end. “Without doubt this is a vital period for the league because there are few matchdays left.
“If we can get through the next four games there won’t be long left. “The league will be decided from here until the end and we will do all we can to be up there.”
La Liga Preview: Vallecano meet Almeria in crunch relegation clash, Valladolid visit Sevilla
12 March 2014
The battle to avoid relegation takes centre stage this weekend as Rayo Vallecano host Almeria in a crucial match at the bottom of La Liga.
The duo occupy two of the three relegation spots with Almeria currently only above Vallecano due to a superior goal difference, while Real Valladolid - fresh from stunning champions Barcelona - also have 26 points and remain mired in relegation trouble in 17th.
Vallecano may be fighting to stave off the threat of the drop, but they head into Saturday's encounter at the Estadio del Rayo Vallecano in promising form.
Paco Jemez's men have won three of their last five league matches, including a spirited 3-2 victory at Real Sociedad on Monday, which followed a 1-0 success over Valencia.
After two hard-fought victories, Paco is now hoping to pick up points against sides closer to Vallecano in the table.
Speaking to the club's official website, he said: "After taking six points against Valencia and Real (Sociedad) that can be worth a lot, now we have to fight with the teams that are down. Now is when we depend on us more than ever."
In contrast to Valladolid's upturn, Almeria's past four games have yielded just a solitary point and their defence has been breached seven times in the last two Liga fixtures.
Valladolid will be well aware that a loss will see them slump into the bottom three, but they travel to Sevilla on the back of a shock 1-0 victory over Barca last weekend.
However, Valladolid meet a Sevilla side that has recorded three Liga victories on the spin and another three points would boost hopes of European qualification.
Real Betis' chances of staying up are increasingly slim, although they visit fellow strugglers Elche on the back of a morale-boosting 2-0 win over Getafe.
Getafe are winless in the league since November - a run that cost Luis Garcia his job on Monday - and are just one points about the drop zone. Next up on Friday are a Granada side looking to appease their own relegation fears, despite a seemingly comfortable league position of 12th.
Osasuna are also in danger and travel to Camp Nou to face Barcelona at possibly the worst time, as Gerardo Martino's men will be desperate to avenge the Valladolid setback.
The result left the Catalans in third, four points adrift of Liga leaders Real Madrid and a further point behind Atletico Madrid.
Carlo Ancelotti's Real side, who are on a 17-match unbeaten run in the league, will attempt to firm their grasp on top spot at Malaga, while Atleti's challenge continues when they host Espanyol at Vicente Calderon.
Elsewhere, Villarreal can cut the gap to fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao to four points when the two face off, while Real Sociedad and Levante have home matches with Valencia and Celta Vigo respectively.
Diego Simeone may have to bring his players back down to earth for Saturday's La Liga clash with Espanyol after midweek continental success.
The men from the Spanish capital made it into the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 1997 with a 5-1 aggregate victory over Milan on Tuesday, sealed by a 4-1 scoreline on the night, but still have a huge part to play in the outcome of the La Liga title.
Simeone's charges currently sit three points adrift of city rivals Real in the Spanish top flight, having leapfrogged third-placed Barcelona - now one point behind Atleti - last weekend.
It is Barca's near-neighbours who visit Vicente Calderon on Saturday, but Atleti will be wary of Espanyol, as the Catalans are one of only three teams to beat them so far this season.
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois inadvertently put the ball in his own net on that occasion to see all three points go to the Estadi Cornella El Prat outfit.
Dauntingly for this weekend's visitors, Atleti are yet to lose on home soil in the league this season, scoring 43 goals in just 14 matches, while Espanyol have claimed just three wins on the road.
Diego Costa is second only to Cristiano Ronaldo in the Liga goalscoring charts and found the net once again against in midweek, and Simeone paid tribute to his star striker following that clash.
"He is called to great things and everything that happens to him is thanks to his humility," he said. "No one gave him anything, and everything he´s got is based on his work and passion."
Despite his side putting four past Milan on Tuesday, Simeone is keen to see his players stay grounded and switch their focus back to the league campaign.
"Victories make you strong, as long as you keep your feet on the ground and know what you have to do," he added. "We as a team need to teamwork, not get away from that identity we have had for some time.
"Obviously, the victory itself enhances the team because we will have two more matches of Champions League, and with it, the ability to rotate the players in various positions for all of them to remain at the top."
Javier Manquillo looks set to be the only injury concern for either side, as the Atletico man continues his recovery from a fractured vertebra.
Cesc Fabregas says he will not step into the shoes of Barcelona team-mate Xavi when the latter calls time on his illustrious career.
Xavi recently said he has no intention of hanging up his boots in the immediate future.
However, the midfielder is now 34 and Barcelona will be aware a long-term replacement may be required sooner rather than later.
Fabregas has been earmarked as someone who could possibly fill the deep-lying playmaker role that Xavi has enjoyed such success in.
Yet the 26-year-old does not envisage that being the case, and feels Barca will be forced to adopt a different style of play once the "unique" Xavi does step aside.
Speaking to RAC's 'Your Say' programme, Fabregas said: "I don't see myself replacing Xavi. Xavi is unique.
"No matter how hard we look, Xavi is a one and only. Whoever replaces him (in the starting XI) will have to be very strong mentally and the team and the fans will have to get used to playing differently.
"The day Xavi is not in Barcelona we will see a different team. I don't know if it'll be better or worse but it'll be different for sure."
Fabregas also stated his belief that Barcelona can complete a treble by winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League this season.
Barce have slipped to third in the title race, four points adrift of leaders Real Madrid, following a 1-0 defeat at Real Valladolid last Saturday.
Gerardo Martino's men bounced back quickly, however, by securing their spot in the Champions League quarter-finals with a 4-1 aggregate victory over Manchester City in the round of 16.
And with a Copa del Rey final against Real on the horizon next month, Fabregas is targeting success on three fronts.
He added: "The way we played against Real Valladolid wasn't acceptable for anyone in the Barca shirt.
"It's not good for anyone that our performances can be so different in four days, but we played with great discipline against City, which we didn't against Valladolid.
"I was worried that the criticism of the team would harm us but that's not how I saw it work out. I saw a team wanting to put it right.
"We will give everything (for the rest of the season) and we can win all three competitions."
Real Madrid has to stay focused on its trip to Malaga in order to maintain its advantage over Barcelona one week before the Spanish league rivals meet in a "clasico" match that could have big implications in the title race.
Madrid leads Atletico Madrid by three points, with Barcelona four points behind the leaders after their slip-up at Valladolid last weekend.
Barcelona welcomes relegation-battling Osasuna on Sunday, while Atletico hosts Espanyol a day earlier.
Madrid and Barcelona meet at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on March 23.
Here are five things to know about the 28th round of games in La Liga:
NO DOUBTING MESSI
Lionel Messi quickly beat back criticism of his recent play with a goalscoring performance in guiding Barcelona to a 2-1 victory over Manchester City in the Champions League.
Barcelona was not quite at its best, but with Messi looking motivated and playing with intensity the Catalans secured their familiar place in the last eight of Europe's elite competition.
"I don't know if the criticisms were exaggerated or not, but after losing we are the first to criticize ourselves," Messi said. "The league isn't lost, there still remains a lot to play for."
RESTED MADRID
After a week without action, Real Madrid will be well-rested ahead of its trip to Malaga on Saturday.
Madrid is unbeaten in 29 games overall and former coach Bernd Schuster would like nothing more than to disrupt the Spanish leader's run at the expense of improving his team's hopes of survival.
Schuster was fired by Madrid early in the 2009-10 season after saying it would be impossible to beat rival Barcelona, which was coached by Pep Guardiola and nine points clear atop the table.
Madrid forward Angel di Maria may not play being one booking away from suspension.
ATLETICO'S CHARACTER
Atletico Madrid's 4-1 thumping of AC Milan in the Champions League displayed all of the title hopefuls attributes: teamwork, physicality, and finesse.
And striker Diego Costa continues to embody those characteristics as he took his season goal tally to 29 in all competitions, with 21 in the league.
The Vicente Calderon Stadium helped inspire the Rojiblancos against Milan, and the home crowd can help it avenge the club's lone defeat of the first half of the season against Espanyol when the team visits.
MADRID MIND GAMES
Atletico goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois dismissed reports he had an agreement in place to sign with Madrid, saying the reports were just a ploy to destabilize the team.
The Belgium keeper is on loan from Chelsea, and has a contract with the London club until 2016. Reports emerged suggesting Courtois had agreed to join Madrid when his deal was up with the English club.
"Everyone knows this type of thing can destabilize the team," Courtois said. "I want to keep playing here and they want me to as well."
WAITING FOR NEYMAR
While Lionel Messi answered critics against Manchester City, Barcelona forward Neymar did not.
The Brazil striker was a fleeting presence against City on Wednesday, showing little pace or creativity in attack before eventually coming off for Alexis Sanchez.
Coach Gerardo Martino acknowledged that forwards Sanchez and Pedro Rodriguez were not getting the playing time they deserve.
"When there are so many great players you are more likely to (be unfair) than not to be," Martino said. "These are decisions we take. Sometimes they come out well and sometimes badly."
La Liga Wrap: Madrid rivals win as title battle heats up
15 March 2014
Real Madrid beat Malaga 1-0 to remain clear at the top of La Liga, while rivals Atletico also edged past visitors Espanyol 1-0 on Saturday.
Cristiano Ronaldo's 25th league goal of the season was the difference between the two sides at La Rosaleda, as Carlo Ancelotti's men continued to set the pace at the La Liga summit ahead of El Clasico against Barcelona next weekend.
After falling to a surprising 3-2 loss at Malaga last season, Real looked determined to avoid a repeat this year.
But they were still made to work hard for the win, which came via Ronaldo's precise finish in the 23rd minute, as he fired into the bottom-right corner.
The Ballon d'Or winner could have made it more comfortable when he headed narrowly wide just prior to the break, but this time he missed the target.
After their UEFA Champions League triumph against Milan in the week, Atletico looked sluggish at Vicente Calderon, with Espanyol proving to be sterner opponents than expected in their 1-0 win.
Clear chances were few and far between for long spells, with David Villa denied by visiting goalkeeper Kiko Casilla in a rare early opportunity.
But Diego Costa finally grabbed his 22nd La Liga goal of the campaign after showing a superb burst of pace to give the home side the victory they needed and keep their title bid alive.
Elsewhere, Rayo Vallecano gave their survival hopes a boost by beating fellow strugglers Almeria 3-1 at Estadio de Vallecas.
Alberto Bueno and Joaquin Larrivey put the hosts 2-0 up by the hour mark and although Fernando Soriano pulled one back, Rayo killed the game off 13 minutes from the end when Larrivey netted his second of the match.
That ended Almeria's hopes of a comeback as Rayo moved three points ahead of their 19th-placed visitors.
Celta Vigo opened up a healthy gap between themselves and the bottom three thanks to a valuable 1-0 win at Levante in Saturday's early kick-off.
Nolito's back-post tap-in from Augusto Fernandez's cross was enough for the visitors as David Barral missed his 61st-minute penalty for Levante.
La Liga Wrap: Messi stars in Barca romp, Valencia lose again
16 March 2014
Barcelona returned to winning ways in La Liga with a 7-0 demolition of Osasuna at Camp Nou on Sunday.
Gerardo Martino's men had bounced back from last weekend's shock defeat at Real Valladolid with a UEFA Champions League win over Manchester City on Wednesday.
And the reigning Spanish champions also put their league assault back on track with Lionel Messi the central figure in a comprehensive win.
The Argentinian's hat-trick saw him move ahead of Paulino Alcantara to become Barcelona's all-time leading goalscorer, with the latter's record of 369 having included goals in friendlies.
Alexis Sanchez, Andres Iniesta, Cristian Tello and Pedro were also on target as Barca moved back to within four points of leaders Real Madrid ahead of next weekend's Clasico at the Bernabeu.
Valencia's recent dip in form continued with a 1-0 defeat at Real Sociedad.
Juan Antonio Pizzi's men now sit 10 points behind Sociedad, who are fifth, after failing to win for a third league game in succession.
Imanol Agirretxe grabbed the only goal of the game in the 61st minute, ensuring Sociedad responded to back-to-back league defeats.
Having been beaten 2-0 by fierce rivals Real Betis in the first leg of their midweek UEFA Europa League tie, Sevilla moved up to sixth place with a resounding 4-1 home win over Real Valladolid.
Kevin Gameiro struck twice in between goals from Ivan Rakitic and Diogo Figueiras as Sevilla made it four league wins in a row.
Javi Guerra's late goal provided little consolation for the visitors, who failed to replicate their fine showing against Barca.
Elche and Betis played out a 0-0 draw at Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero.
Betis are now seven points adrift at the bottom of the table despite stretching their unbeaten run to five games in all competitions.
Stories have emerged in the British Press that Real Madrid are interested in Stoke City goalkeeper Asmir Begovic.
The Bosnia international has been one of the stand-out performers for the Premier League outfit for several seasons now, and has attracted interest from several top-level clubs.
Manchester and Arsenal have previously been linked with a move for the veteran shot-stopper.
But the Daily Express claims that Los Blancos are looking at the World Cup-bound number one as a potential replacement for Iker Casillas.
Aritz Aduriz went from zero to hero as Athletic Bilbao came from behind to draw 1-1 at Villarreal in La Liga on Monday.
The former Valencia forward scored a trademark header with seven minutes to play to give his side an important point in their battle for fourth.
Aduriz missed the chance to give the visitors an early lead after Slovenia defender Bojan Jokic conceded a penalty in the 31st minute, as Sergio Asenjo denied the forward.
And Tomas Pina made Bilbao pay when he put Villarreal in front just two minutes into the second half.
Atletico Madrid loanee Oliver Torres created the opener, beating Mikel Balenziaga before playing an excellent ball across the face of the goal that Pina converted at the far post.
The game would have more twists in it though, as Brazilian Gabriel Paulista was sent off for a second yellow card with 25 minutes to play.
And Villarreal, conceding a numerical advantage, also lost their lead as Aduriz netted his 11th La Liga goal of the season.
The striker headed in Ander Iturraspe's cross, reading the flight of the ball better than Villarreal defender Aleksandar Pantic and powering his effort beyond Asenjo.
Bilbao are now six points clear of the fifth-placed Real Sociedad in the race for the fourth and final UEFA Champions League spot, while Villarreal remain sixth after the draw.
