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Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone said Sunday's 1-1 draw with La Liga rivals Valencia was a fair result.
German midfielder Shkodran Mustafi's 78th-minute header cancelled out Koke's first-half opener as Valencia left the Vicente Calderon with a share of the spoils.
While Atletico failed to extend their lead ahead of fourth-placed Valencia, Simeone took heart from an impressive opening 45 minutes in Madrid.
"We played a great first half. We played in the rival's field, pressuring at their backs very well and won all the duels," Simeone told reporters post-game.
"It is a fair result but I'll take the work of the first half, which was very good."
Sunday's result left Atletico (55) one point ahead of Valencia (54) and the reigning champions are now seemingly targeting a third-place finish, with Barcelona (62) and Real Madrid (61) going head-to-head at the summit.
"I think that the league is long and our championship, as we have always said, is competing against Valencia and Sevilla," Simeone added.
"We still have that one point off that we have to look after."
Atletico centre-back Diego Godin echoed his coach's comments post-game, telling Canal Plus that the Madrid club are in a battle for the third and final UEFA Champions League automatic qualification spot.
"We are going to continue thinking about the next match, as we said at the beginning of the tournament," the Uruguayan said.
"Our rivals are Sevilla and Valencia. We only need to win."
Raiola expects Pogba to stay despite ´interest from seven clubs´
8 March 2015
Paul Pogba's agent believes it is 99 per cent certain the player will remain at Juventus despite claiming that seven top European clubs are interested in his services.
The France midfielder has been continually linked with a move away from the Turin club, who he joined from Manchester United in 2012.
Reports in Spain claim Barcelona are plotting a move for Pogba, who has also been said to have chosen to return to France with PSG.
Pogba has a long-term contract with the defending Serie A champions, which does not expire until June 2019.
"We made a pact with Juve: Paul doesn't have to leave," representative Mino Raiola told Tuttosport.
"I spoke to president Andrea Agnelli, directors Pavel Nedved, Beppe Marotta and Fabio Paratici, so they all agree. The club doesn't need the money.
"He is wanted by seven clubs and that is certain, because they all told me so.
"The ones that can afford him are Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG, Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea.
"If I just whistled, I'd sell Pogba tomorrow to PSG or City in a heartbeat. But Paul did not tell me to find him another club.
"What are his chances of staying? As of today it's 99 per cent.
"Juve agree with our approach, which is that they will only sell if Paul asks to leave and there's a suitable offer. Of course, it could become one per cent, it depends on the market.
"Real wanted him 18 months ago, but I didn't like the attitude Madrid had with me.
"Juve asked for about €50million and Real told me it was a ridiculous sum. Even Carlo Ancelotti told me that and he adores Pogba.
"I don't have to sell him, though. I advised Paul to only leave Juve if he finds a club that desperately wants him. Right now it's easier to remain in Turin than to leave. Juve are the side with the advantage."
The pair were photographed on an evening out in the English capital just weeks after they were seen doing the same in Barcelona
Lionel Messi and Cesc Fabregas have once more caught the headlines after a visit to a casino - this time in London.
The Barcelona star was the subject of scrutiny after he went to a casino in Spain in the build-up to the clash with Manchester City, along with team-mate Gerard Pique and the Chelsea midfielder.
And Messi has again something of a stir after a night out in London on Sunday along with former Barca team-mate Fabregas, with whom he remains close friends.
The pair visited 'Colony Club', an exclusive casino in Mayfair, with girlfriends Antonella Roccuzzo and Daniella Semaan.
Messi was linked with a possible sensational transfer to Chelsea earlier this season when tensions with head coach Luis Enrique came close to breaking point.
The 27-year-old fanned the flames of the rumours by following the Blues' official page on Instagram.
While Messi has maintained he is happy with the current Liga leaders, speculation over his future remains rife, with the Argentina international and Luis Enrique still not on full speaking terms at Camp Nou.
Barcelona sporting director Ariedo Braida has admitted that, while Messi's sale remains highly unlikely, a transfer cannot be ruled out due to the player's €250 million release clause.
"I think that it is nearly impossible to see Messi leave Barcelona, but it could happen with clubs like PSG and Manchester City around, who have a lot of money to spend," Braida told Esport 3.
"Strange things happen every now and then."
Messi has been in exceptional form in recent weeks, with his hat-trick in the 6-1 thrashing of Rayo Vallecano drawing him level with Cristiano Ronaldo in the race for the European Golden Shoe.
The attacking midfielder has spoken of his difficulties featuring alongside his compatriot, while he was delighted to see Barcelona go top of the table
Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta has acknowledged that he occasionally finds it hard to play alongside Xavi, before stressing that he feels privileged to be part of the same team as the ex-Spain international.
Iniesta and Xavi have been team-mates at Barcelona ever since the former broke into the first team under Louis van Gaal in 2002-03, while also featuring alongside each other on a regular basis for the national team until the latter's international retirement after the 2014 World Cup.
The duo have both featured in the majority of the Catalan side's games this season, but Iniesta has a feeling that it is not working out with the two in the same team.
"Sometimes I get the feeling that it seems we can't play together," Iniesta was quoted as saying by Marca.
"But it is always a privilege to be by his side because not only does he make your job easier, but he also makes the team work better.
"Sometimes, as with all players, things don't work out.
"We have been together for a long time now and the feelings are always very good, though."
Barcelona went top of La Liga following their demolition of Rayo and Real Madrid's defeat to Athletic Bilbao, and Iniesta is hopeful of increasing their lead in this month's Clasico, although he has stressed the Catalans must focus on the two games before it first.
"More important than being at the top or not is the general feeling of the team after the game we just played. We feel good and have to continue along that line. We have two or three months left to go - not long, but the most complicated part.
"It's always better having that edge than not having it, obviously. But until then we have an uncomfortable game away to Eibar and then the Champions League. There are two games before Real for us to think about. When we do get there, we'll try to maintain our lead or even increase it."
Messi could leave Barcelona, admits club director Braida
By Stefan Coerts
Mar 9, 2015 11:17:04
The Italian, who recently took over as the Catalans' sporting director, says a transfer cannot be ruled out due to the player's buyout clause
Lionel Messi could still leave Barcelona, the club's sporting director Ariedo Braida has admitted.
The 27-year-old has a contract with Barca until June 2018 but has a limited fee release clause of €250 million.
Messi was linked with a possible departure from Camp Nou earlier in the season as his relationship with head coach Luis Enrique deteriorated.
And while Braida remains confident the Argentina international will remain committed to Barca, he accepts that the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City, backed by billionaire owners, could one day make an offer to meet the staggering release-clause fee.
"I think that it is nearly impossible to see Messi leave Barcelona, but it could happen with clubs like PSG and Manchester City around, who have a lot of money to spend," Braida, who has replaced Andoni Zubizarreta at Barcelona, told Esport 3.
"Strange things happen every now and then.
"Messi is not simply a footballer. He is a phenomenon, an extraterrestrial. He is up there with Pele and Diego Maradona.
"He has incredible speed and takes aim at goal in an impressive way."
Braida was general director at AC Milan for 28 years and recently joined a new technical committee at Barca to help oversee planning for the first team, with former sporting director Zubizarreta dismissed after a trophyless campaign and question marks over his transfer policy.
The 68-year-old has now claimed he came close to poaching the four-time Ballon d'Or winner during his time at San Siro.
"Did I try to sign Messi for Milan in the past? I got a call from someone when he was still a little kid and tried to sign him.
"I have 30 years' worth of contacts and know a lot of people around the world."
Messi made his official first-team debut at Barcelona in 2004-05 and has since developed into one of the best players in the history of the game.
The Argentina international is Barcelona's all-time leading goalscorer as well as in La Liga and Champions League.
Simeone: Atletico Madrid not fighting for the title
By Mark Doyle
Mar 9, 2015 01:25:23
The champions were held to a 1-1 draw by Valencia and the coach says their sole concern is finishing third, despite Real Madrid losing this weekend
Diego Simeone says Atletico Madrid are not in the Liga title race, claiming they continue to be locked in their own championship battle with Valencia and Sevilla.
The reigning Spanish champions could have drawn to within five points of new leaders Barcelona by defeating fourth-placed Valencia at the Vicente Calderon on Sunday - but the Rojiblancos were held to a 1-1 draw by Nuno Santo's side.
The result means Atletico remain just one point above Los Che in the automatic Champions League places, with Sevilla a further five behind in fifth.
Simeone has been saying for weeks that his team's aim is to stay ahead of the sides below them rather than reel in Barca and city rivals Real Madrid, who lost to Athletic Bilbao this weekend.
Consequently, he was reasonably happy that Atleti had followed up a 0-0 draw at Sevilla last weekend by taking another point from the visit of Valencia.
"I will not give you a headline by saying that we are fighting for La Liga," the Argentine told reporters after the game.
"The league is long and our championship now is against Valencia and Sevilla, neither of whom managed to beat us in these last two games."
Simeone confessed Atletico had not done enough to hold onto the first-half lead given to them by Koke and felt Valencia were good value for their 78th-minute equaliser from Shkodran Mustafi.
"We did very well in the first half," said the coach. "We pressed them, played the game in their half and we won our duels.
"However, in the second half, we didn't play in the same way. We didn't continue with the intention of owning the middle of the park and Valencia had more control of the ball as a result.
"We played 10-15 metres deeper and didn't press well, so a draw is a fair result."
The Frenchman is dreaming big irrespective of the stiff competition and has admitted he went through a difficult period at Madrid early on
Real Madrid attacker Karim Benzema has revealed that he dreams of winning the Fifa Ballon d'Or at some point in the future, although he realises it would take some extraordinary performances to achieve his goal.
Barcelona attacker Lionel Messi and Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo have dominated the prestigious individual award in recent years, with the Argentine bagging the trophy four times in the last seven years and Benzema's team-mate emerging victorious on the remaining three occasions.
Nevertheless, the France international refuses to bury his dream of once being regarded as the best player in the world.
"Winning the Ballon d'Or remains one of my objectives," Benzema told BeIn Sports.
"I am not going to lie about it. The Ballon d'Or is always in the back of my mind. Every player dreams of winning it.
"What I would need to do to win it? I would have to win a lot of titles and score 80 goals or so in one year!"
The 27-year-old then went on to admit that he went through a difficult period after joining Madrid from Lyon in the summer of 2009.
"I was quite happy with my move to Madrid, but after the first few weeks I felt lost without my family.
"It was very difficult for me. I had to put in a lot of hard work, things I did not necessarily do at Lyon. It was like another dimension.
"All the hard work has helped me develop. I know what I am worth now. This is my sixth year at Real Madrid. Had I been just any other player, I would not have stayed at Madrid this long."
Benzema also briefly discussed the upcoming Clasico later this month and stressed that Barcelona are an opponent he likes to come up against.
"The Clasico is the best game there is in the entire world. Everybody has to be at 100 per cent. It's the biggest game out there. Things go really fast and you feel enormous pressure.
The leader of the region's nationalist party has hit out at Real Madrid's stance concerning the possible use of their stadium for the Copa del Rey final in May
Basque politician Andoni Ortuzar says Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is acting like "he owns Spain" by refusing to allow Athletic Club and Barcelona to play the final of the Copa del Rey at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Both clubs are keen on using the Blancos' famous home for the cup showpiece on May 30, but Madrid do not want to cede the venue to their two fierce rivals - Barca in particular - after the Catalans' wild celebrations in the 1997 final win over Betis, when president Joan Gaspart ran onto the pitch and the Blaugrana anthem was played on the loudspeaker system.
Athletic and Barca are also two clubs with many supporters sharing a vision of independence from Spain for their respective regions, with both Basques and Catalans booing the Spanish national anthem when they met in the 2009 and 2012 finals.
That is another potential embarrassment for Madrid in a competition bearing the name of monarch Felipe VI, who will be present at the fixture, but Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) leader Ortuzar told Radio Euskadi: "He [Florentino] thinks he's the owner of Spain.
"Any city would love to host the final, but it seems he doesn't want ikurrinas or seneras (Basque or Catalan national flags) in his stadium."
And he added: "In any case, we won't go where we are not wanted."
Madrid refused to comment on the politician's remarks when contacted by Goal on Monday.
La Liga Review: Villarreal keep it tight at the top
8 March 2015
Villarreal ended Celta de Vigo's unbeaten run in La Liga on Sunday, cruising to a 4-1 victory to stay in touch with the top five clubs in the Spanish top flight.
The win took sixth-placed Villarreal to 48 points, just one behind Sevilla, who sit fifth in the standings, while the top six clubs are separated by just 14 points.
Atletico Madrid and Valencia - third and fourth respectively - missed the opportunity to close on leaders Barcelona and second-placed Real Madrid, as they played out a 1-1 draw.
Lionel Messi scored a second-half hat-trick as Barcelona leapfrogged Real into top spot with a 6-1 thumping of 10-man Rayo Vallecano.
In Villarreal, the hosts hit the front with four minutes left in the first half when Giovani dos Santos scored a solo goal on the counter-attack.
Marcelino's men managed to produce another goal before the break with centre-back Mateo Musacchio heading Moi Gomez's corner into the net in stoppage time.
Celta, who had not lost in La Liga since January, pulled a goal back in the 50th minute when Augusto Fernandez headed Nolito's free-kick past Sergio Asenjo but that was as good as it got for the visitors, with Tomas Pina setting up two goals for Villarreal in the final 20 minutes.
The 27-year-old midfielder chipped the ball over Celta's defence in the 73rd minute for Luciano Vietto to score from a tight angle, while Pina found Gerard Moreno on the edge of the box with six minutes left and the striker slotted Villarreal's fourth goal.
The win kept Villarreal seven points clear of seventh-placed Malaga in La Liga's second UEFA Europa League qualification spot.
La Liga has often been criticised for a lack of competitiveness - with Barcelona and Real Madrid well ahead of the rest - but Spain's first division appears fine in comparison with the rest of Europe's top leagues at this stage of the season.
Of the top divisions in Spain, England, Germany, France and Italy, Ligue 1 has the smallest gap between the top six clubs with 12 points, while 23 points separate Bayern Munich and Augsburg in the Bundesliga.
In Madrid, hosts Atletico were left to rue missed opportunities as Valencia defender Shkodran Mustafi cancelled out Koke's first-half strike for the home side.
Atletico took eight shots with three on target at the Vicente Calderon, while Mustafi's header with 12 minutes left was the only one of Valencia's three efforts on goal that was on target.
The draw left Atletico with 55 points, six adrift of archrivals Real, who lost to Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.
In Sunday's other match, Real Sociedad edged out Espanyol 1-0.
Barcelona 6 Rayo Vallecano 1: Messi hat-trick sends Luis Enrique´s men top
8 March 2015
Lionel Messi scored a record 24th La Liga hat-trick as Barcelona thrashed Rayo Vallecano 6-1 at Camp Nou on Sunday to move top of La Liga.
Luis Suarez's fifth-minute opener was all Luis Enrique's men had to show for a dominant first-half display, during which the striker and Pedro both should have punished Rayo's high defensive line.
However, Barca found goals much easier to come by in the second half as they capitalised on Real Madrid's defeat at Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.
Gerard Pique doubled the hosts' lead in the 49th minute, before Tito was sent off for a foul on Suarez in the penalty area.
Messi's re-taken spot-kick put the result beyond doubt and he added two more goals to move past 40 for the sixth successive season and complete his 32nd treble for Barcelona.
Alberto Bueno converted a penalty for Rayo following the dismissal of Dani Alves, but Suarez rounded off the scoring late on with his 13th of the season.
A remarkable 15th win from 16 matches in all competitions puts Barca a point clear of Real at the Liga summit with El Clasico two weeks away.
Luis Enrique was without Sergio Busquets and Neymar through injury and suspension, so Xavi and Pedro started among five changes from Wednesday's Copa del Rey triumph at Villarreal, while Rayo boss Paco Jemez made four alterations to his line-up.
The Catalans, buoyed by Real defeat at San Mames, were quickly into their stride as Xavi's wonderful ball on the half-volley released Suarez, who confidently stroked home with the outside of his right foot.
Pedro spurned a chance to make it 2-0 following another fine pass from Xavi and, after Roberto Trashorras curled a free-kick just wide for Rayo, Barca went close again when Suarez's chipped pass found Lionel Messi, whose first-time lob drifted just wide.
Barca's dominance was made to count four minutes after the restart. Jordi Alba's free header hit the post and Pique was on hand to tap home the rebound.
Tito then hauled down Suarez in the box after 54 minutes and received a second yellow card as a result.
Messi's penalty was saved but a retake was ordered because of encroachment and he made no mistake at the second attempt, hammering a low shot into the bottom-right corner.
Barcelona pulled further clear in the 62nd minute when Suarez's smart turn and shot forced a save from Cristian Alvarez but Messi tapped in the rebound.
Alvarez produced a superb low save from a Messi free-kick two minutes later but the Argentina forward was not to be denied and completed his hat-trick in the 68th minute by latching onto a cross and showing great composure to dummy the goalkeeper before slotting in his 30th league goal of the campaign.
Barca's victory was soured somewhat when Alves was given a straight red after Leo Baptistao went down under his challenge and Bueno - the scorer of four goals in 15 minutes last weekend - dispatched the penalty for his 13th of the season.
Yet Suarez topped off a wonderful afternoon for the new league leaders by collecting Messi's pass before rounding Alvarez and slotting home in injury time.
Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone said Sunday's 1-1 draw with La Liga rivals Valencia was a fair result.
German midfielder Shkodran Mustafi's 78th-minute header cancelled out Koke's first-half opener as Valencia left the Vicente Calderon with a share of the spoils.
While Atletico failed to extend their lead ahead of fourth-placed Valencia, Simeone took heart from an impressive opening 45 minutes in Madrid.
"We played a great first half. We played in the rival's field, pressuring at their backs very well and won all the duels," Simeone told reporters post-game.
"It is a fair result but I'll take the work of the first half, which was very good."
Sunday's result left Atletico (55) one point ahead of Valencia (54) and the reigning champions are now seemingly targeting a third-place finish, with Barcelona (62) and Real Madrid (61) going head-to-head at the summit.
"I think that the league is long and our championship, as we have always said, is competing against Valencia and Sevilla," Simeone added.
"We still have that one point off that we have to look after."
Atletico centre-back Diego Godin echoed his coach's comments post-game, telling Canal Plus that the Madrid club are in a battle for the third and final UEFA Champions League automatic qualification spot.
"We are going to continue thinking about the next match, as we said at the beginning of the tournament," the Uruguayan said.
"Our rivals are Sevilla and Valencia. We only need to win."
Cordoba 1 Getafe 2: Own goal, late winner bury hosts
9 March 2015
Getafe inflicted more pain on La Liga cellar-dwellers Cordoba on Monday, coming from behind late to pinch a 2-1 win.
Hosts Cordoba were set to breathe new life into their hopes of survival in the Spanish top flight, as they led 1-0 in the dying stages at the Estadio Nuevo Arcangel.
Florin Andone had put Cordoba ahead in the 77th minute, but their bid for a fourth win of the season faltered late on.
A Fede Vico own goal handed Getafe an equaliser in the 87th minute, before Juan Rodriguez headed a stoppage-time winner to leave Cordoba four points adrift in bottom place - and seven points shy of safety with 26 games played.
Vico's own goal was notably calamitous, beating goalkeeper Mikel Saizar with a backheel flick that would have had spectators purring at the other end.
Getafe's fortune saw them earn their eighth win of the season, taking them five points clear of the bottom three.
Pedro says his inability to secure a regular starting place at Barcelona will lead to him evaluating his future at Camp Nou at the end of the season.
The Spain international has been something of a bit-part player under Luis Enrique - making only 19 starts as he has stayed in the shadow of Barca's frontline trio of Neymar, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.
Having been a regular under Luis Enrique's predecessors, Pedro acknowledged he is likely to consider his future with the club.
"It's obvious that it's difficult to nail down a place in the team," he told beIN Sports.
"I have had few opportunities this season but I have to wait and when they do come, take advantage of them.
"I'm going through a difficult moment in the team. I'll evaluate my future at the end of the season and I'll speak to the club.
"But right now I'm centred on the team and with enthusiasm to play and to do well when I do."
With Barca's transfer ban running until 2016, it remains to be seen whether the club would allow the likes of Pedro to leave at the end of the season.
Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu has no interest in a move to Barcelona, according to the player's agent.
Bektas Demirtas claims the Catalan giants have expressed an interest in his client, but that Calhanoglu is happy to remain at Leverkusen.
Calhanoglu has made 23 Bundesliga appearances for Leverkusen this season, scoring five goals, and any potential move could not go through until January next year, due to Barca's transfer embargo.
"It's true," Demirtas told Express. "Barcelona has reported and deposited their interest.
"Not to sound arrogant, but for Hakan, interest from Barcelona is uninteresting.
"He has everything he needs at Leverkusen.
"He's playing in the Champions League and competing for the DFB-Pokal, plus things are going well for him in the Bundesliga."
Iker Casillas came in for criticism for his display against Schalke this week, but Real Madrid team-mate Pepe believes he remains the best goalkeeper in the world.
Casillas was whistled by Real's home faithful on Tuesday as a poor display saw him conceded four times in a 4-3 defeat.
Although the powers of the much-decorated keeper appear to be on the wane, Pepe has come out in defence of his colleague.
"Right now Iker is the best goalkeeper in the world and it's strange that somebody like him gets whistled," he told La COPE.
"Things were never clear when [Jose] Mourinho was here and I paid the price for saying Iker should be respected for what he has done for Spain. That was unfair.
"People forget what he's won and everything he's given to football and that was quite painful for me to see.
"When I came out and said he deserves respect it was taken as though I was his best friend and we then became everyone's enemy.
"Iker accepted the situation as best he could because he knows what it means to wear the Madrid shirt better than any of us and always defends the club."
Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti has been handed a vote of confidence by club president Florentino Perez.
The Italian has endured a challenging few days after a 1-0 loss to Athletic Bilbao in La Liga on Saturday was followed by a 4-3 reverse at the hands of Schalke in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.
Defeat to Athletic saw Real lose their place at the top of La Liga to fierce rivals Barcelona, though they were still able to progress in the Champions League courtesy of a 2-0 victory in the first leg.
Ancelotti faces a crucial month, which will see Madrid travel to Camp Nou to face Barca in what could well become a title decider.
Real fans voiced their disapproval at the final whistle on Tuesday, while Ancelotti insisted he was not fearful of losing his job - a feeling which appears well-founded.
"Whatever happens in the next few weeks, Carlo Ancelotti will remain as Real Madrid coach," Perez said.
"The attacks on our coach and players is being over exaggerated. The club has full confidence in our coach and our players.
"Carlo Ancelotti has experience. He is focused on his job and has no doubt that we will have a good season.
"Carlo Ancelotti has the confidence and affection of the president and the board of directors.
"I am here to say that whatever happens in the Clasico will not change anything."
Perez was far less forthcoming when asked if the Italian was safe in his job next season, replying: "I've said what I've said."
La Liga Preview: Real host Levante after troublesome few days
11 March 2015
Real Madrid welcome La Liga strugglers Levante to the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday, looking to put a challenging few days behind them.
Carlo Ancelotti's side surrendered their position at the top of the table last weekend, going down 1-0 at Athletic Bilbao.
That defeat allowed fierce rivals Barcelona to usurp them at the summit as Lionel Messi's hat-trick inspired them to a 6-1 hammering of Rayo Vallecano.
Real then suffered a second successive defeat on Tuesday, as Schalke triumphed 4-3 in the Bernabeu in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League last-16 tie.
The defending European champions were able to edge through 5-4 on aggregate after their 2-0 success in Germany three weeks previously, but the home faithful were quick to show their discontent at the display.
"Sometimes you have to suffer and this will make us stronger," said Luka Modric, who made his first appearance since suffering a thigh injury in November.
"We have to get back to playing the way we were at the start of the season. We have a lot of quality and I think that we're going to see a much better Real Madrid in the next game."
That game sees Real host a Levante side just one place and one point above the drop zone, while Real's rivals Barca visit Eibar, whose run of seven straight league defeats has seen them slip towards danger.
Barca, however, are in fine form, with 15 wins from their last 16 outings across all competitions helping them to gain a slender one-point lead over Real.
The race for third place - and the final automatic Champions League qualification berth - remains wide open after last weekend's 1-1 draw between Atletico Madrid and Valencia.
Reigning champions Atletico look to have dropped out of the running for the title, but they are a point ahead of Valencia in the battle for third.
Valencia host Deportiva La Coruna on Friday and Atletico travel to Espanyol 24 hours later.
At the wrong end of the table, bottom club Cordoba head to Malaga in a bid to end their own seven-match losing streak, while fellow relegation candidates Granada and Almeria take on Rayo and Villarreal respectively.
Elsewhere, Celta Vigo welcome Athletic, Sevilla host Elche and Real Sociedad visit Getafe.
The coach insists he has a good relationship with his players but maintains he can be harsh with them when he needs to be
Carlo Ancelotti has insisted that he is not too soft with the Real Madrid players.
The world and European champions have lost their place at the top of La Liga and merely scraped through to the quarter-final of the Champions League at the expense of Schalke.
The drop in form has seen Ancelotti come under scrutiny, with speculation surrounding his future, but the coach maintains things are going well with the team and that he is strong enough to lead them forward.
"The relationship with the players is what’s most important, it matters a lot more than the one with the president," he told Gazzetta dello Sport. "If there is no good feeling with the guys, you are a dead man.
"Someone calls it friendship, but I simply call it respect, although I like to laugh and joke with them. The intelligent people know when it’s time to get serious.
"Whoever says I am too soft angers me, because it is not true.”
The 55-year-old also spoke about Pepe, revealing that he had to convince the defender not to leave the Santiago Bernabeu after the centre-back felt he was hated too much in Spain.
"I didn't use any kind of strategy. He asked to leave because in Spain they considered him bad and dirty. I told him that he was going to stay, that I counted on him.
"We were not disappointed. Like Cristiano Ronaldo, he never disappoints us.
"[Zinedine] Zidane was the player that entertained me the most in training, but Cristiano makes me have fun in matches, as he always scores.”
Ancelotti has recently spoken about his desire to end his career with the Italian national team and he reiterated his dream once more.
"I would like to manage Italy one day. But first I must overcome the desire to coach every day.
"Italy reach a World Cup final every 12 years and they win one every 24. So, everything's ready for 2030."
Valencia 2 Deportivo La Coruna 0: Parejo and Alcacer on target
13 March 2015 23:08
Valencia tightened their grip on fourth spot in La Liga with a 2-0 victory over Deportivo La Coruna at Mestalla on Friday.
Dani Parejo and Paco Alcacer struck for Nuno Espirito Santo's men as they moved eight points clear of Sevilla in fifth, who host struggling Elche on Sunday.
Valencia piled pressure on in the first half, but were unable to find a way past Fabricio in Deportivo's goal.
But their pressure paid off after the break as Pablo Piatti proved too tricky for Juanfran in the penalty area and a foul on the Argentinian allowed Parejo to break the deadlock from 12 yards.
Piatti was again involved as Alcacer made the points safe by prodding home Sofiane Feghouli's cut-back from three yards out - the Spain striker's first goal of 2015.
Defeat leaves Deportivo nervously looking over their shoulders, just a point clear of 18th-placed Almeria.
Espanyol 0 Atletico Madrid 0: Miranda sees red as champions falter again
14 March 2015 17:53
Miranda's first-half red card proved costly as Atletico Madrid's faltering title defence suffered yet another blow with a 0-0 draw at Espanyol.
The champions, looking to bounce back from consecutive league draws with Sevilla and Valencia, produced a toothless performance at Cornella-El Prat as they slipped to fourth in La Liga.
Although Diego Simeone's men created the better chances before the break, their struggles were evident throughout.
The physical Felipe Caicedo proved a nuisance and the hosts' resolute backline kept Fernando Torres quiet until his withdrawal following Miranda's sending off.
Torres and Antoine Griezmann did both spurn good chances, while Raul Garcia saw a couple of late efforts denied.
But Sergio's side were more prominent after the break and only a fine defensive performance kept them at bay.
Despite Tuesday's crucial UEFA Champions League last-16 second leg against Bayer Leverkusen on the horizon, Simeone refused to rest key men for Saturday's trip.
The hosts looked capable of causing problems for Atletico during the early exchanges, with Caicedo and Sergio Garcia particularly lively.
But Atletico's set-piece prowess soon caused panic in the Espanyol defence, as Torres headed on Koke’s 11th-minute free-kick delivery to force Kiko Casilla into an acrobatic save.
Koke then went close himself from the resulting corner, lashing a half-volley agonisingly wide of the bottom-left corner.
Espanyol's willingness to throw men forward left them exposed in the 22nd minute, though they escaped unpunished when Griezmann dragged an effort off target at the end of a swift Atletico breakaway.
That scare saw the home side begin to take fewer risks, but they received a significant boost to their chances just before the interval, as Miranda was shown a straight red card for clattering into Abraham with a raised elbow.
Torres was replaced by centre-back Jose Maria Gimenez as a result of Miranda's indiscretion and with that change, Atletico's attacking threat effectively vanished.
The numerical advantage allowed Espanyol to exert more control, though Diego Godin and Gimenez proved an able shield to keep them at arm's length.
Atletico sat back for a great deal of the second half, but they finally crafted another chance with 13 minutes to go when Raul Garcia saw Casilla parry his effort away after he had latched on to Griezmann's clever flick.
The midfielder was denied by Casilla again a few moments later, the goalkeeper blocking a shot from point-blank range, as both sides failed to find a late breakthrough.
