Barcelona: Dethroned as Europe's dominant team, Barcelona can begin rebuilding their reputation by clinching the Spanish league title this weekend. Barcelona can secure their 22nd domestic title and their fourth in five years if they beat Real Betis at Camp Nou on Sunday and second-place Real Madrid drops points at home against Valladolid the day before.
Barcelona and Madrid were both eliminated from the Champions League semi-finals this week. Yet while Madrid almost rallied back against Borussia Dortmund before falling 4-3 on aggregate, Bayern Munich humbled the once mighty Barcelona by the combined score of 7-0 over their two-game series.
A nagging right hamstring injury kept forward Lionel Messi out of Barcelona's 3-0 loss to Bayern on Wednesday, and he may likely be another game-time decision on Saturday.
While pointing out that Barcelona's accumulation of injuries had hurt their chances against Bayern, Barcelona's players and staff conceded after their second stinging defeat that the newly-crowned German champions had simply outplayed them.
"When a team is that much better, you have to congratulate them," Barcelona defender Gerard Pique said. "We gave it all that we had, and maybe we didn't arrive to the series in our best shape. Now we have to finish off the Spanish league as soon as possible and then think about the decisions we need to take for next season."
Madrid are undefeated at home in the league this season and they host a Valladolid side that has almost made sure they will stay up for a second straight campaign. But all the attention will be focused on Madrid coach Jose Mourinho after his comments following Tuesday's exit from Europe's top-tier club competition that he may be on the move.
With Barcelona close to wrapping up the league title, Madrid's only chance at silverware now rests on winning the Copa del Rey final against crosstown rival Atletico Madrid on May 17.
"Real Madrid will have another opportunity to win a 10th European Cup," Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo said. "It didn't happen this year, but I hope next year will be the time. The Copa del Rey is a completely different competition. If we go in wanting to win it I am sure that we will."
With the title practically decided, the drama is shifting to the race for European competition come next season and the relegation fight.
Atletico Madrid are locked into third place, while Real Sociedad are in control of fourth place and the final Champions League berth. Sociedad lead Malaga and Valencia by five points before visiting Getafe on Monday. Malaga are at Granada on Saturday while Valencia host Osasuna.
Five points separate the bottom five teams, with three destined to join the second division. Last-place Mallorca enter the weekend three points from safety and host a slumping Levante side that are winless in four straight games.
Real Zaragoza and Celta Vigo are also in the drop zone but just one point behind Deportivo La Coruna, which is clinging to safety after having gone six consecutive matches without a loss. Celta host Athletic Bilbao on Friday, and Zaragoza welcomes Rayo Vallecano on Sunday. Deportivo face a tough test when they host Atletico Madrid on Saturday.
Espanyol travel to Sevilla on Sunday with both teams level on points in the middle of table and in need of a win to keep alive their chances of late-season push for a Europa League spot.
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