Madrid, April 3 (IANS) The demands of the intense season have already kicked in with the race for the title reduced to a head-to-head between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, both of whom qualified for the final of the Copa del Rey after two intense semifinals this week. After winning their semifinal return leg away to Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night, FC Barcelona have very little recovery time before defending their three-point lead at the top of the La Liga at home to Real Betis on Saturday.
It is Barca’s fourth game in just 10 days and Hansi Flick will have to continue with his squad rotations against one of the most in-form teams in the league. Although Barca beat Betis 5-1 in the Copa del Rey in January, Betis have improved drastically in the past two months and are looking to qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League after a run of six consecutive league wins.
Real Madrid had to play extra time on Tuesday as Real Sociedad exposed their defensive problems, and Carlo Ancelotti’s side now plays at home to Valencia. Ancelotti will also have to rotate his squad after the Copa del Rey and with a Champions League visit to Arsenal next week, while Valencia travel after a 1-0 win at home to Mallorca that lifted the team four points clear of the bottom three.
Two draws and two wins in the last four matches show how Valencia have improved under coach Carlos Corberan, and games between the two sides have become grudge affairs after racist insults aimed at Madrid winger Vinicius Jr in Valencia’s Mestalla Stadium.
Atletico Madrid saw their hopes of a title this season ended last week, with the Copa del Rey exit following a league draw away to Espanyol that leaves Diego Simeone’s men nine points off the top of the table.
With nothing left for Atletico other than to ensure a top-four finish, Simeone has to lift his side to visit Sevilla, whose coach Garcia Pimienta is under pressure after last weekend’s derby loss to Betis left the team struggling to qualify for Europe with one win in five games.
Villarreal host Athletic Bilbao in a key match to see who finishes fourth this season. Villarreal is six points behind Athletic, but has played a game less than a rival that should welcome back Oihan Sancet and Daniel Vivian after injury. The round of matches kicks off on Friday as Rayo Vallecano looks to strengthen its claim to play in Europe at home to an Espanyol side that has work to do to avoid relegation.
Alaves could drop back into the bottom three if it fails to win away to mid-table Girona, while Saturday sees Mallorca at home to Celta Vigo in a clash between the two sides with options of playing in Europe next season.
Las Palmas played well to draw in Vigo, but failure to win at home to Real Sociedad on Sunday will probably cost coach Diego Martinez his job, and Las Palmas are without goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen who suffered a punctured intestine on Monday night.
Bottom side Real Valladolid are at home to a Getafe side that can assure their survival for another year with a win, while on Monday Leganes hosts Osasuna, which has just one win in their last 17 league games.
–IANS
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