Decisive weekend in La Liga as Sociedad play their third match in seven days

Athletic Club’s manager Ernesto Valverde welcomes Real Sociedad manager David Moyes prior to the start of their La Liga match on April 28, 2015 in Bilbao, Spain.

Madrid, April 30 (IANS) There is not a day without football in Spain this week as the 34th round of La Liga moves seamlessly without a break on Friday as Real Sociedad play their third game in seven days with Levante as the visitors at the Anoeta Stadium.

However, the big stories are likely to be written on Saturday when the battle for the title once again continues with FC Barcelona travelling to face Cordoba and Real Madrid away to Sevilla.

Barcelona, who fired six goals past Getafe on Tuesday, are in their best form of the season and will be expected to beat the side that is rock bottom of the table with just 20 points and three wins all season.

Cordoba's situation is such that a defeat to Barcelona will mean they are mathematically relegated back to the second division after just one season in top-flight.

Barcelona, meanwhile, need to defend their two-point lead over Real Madrid and Luis Enrique will once again rotate his squad to ensure they all reach the end of the season in peak form.

Andres Iniesta and Jordi Alba will both start and Gerard Pique will probably return to action as some of the changes he makes from Tuesday's starting 11.

Should Barcelona win as expected, that would once again open up a five-point gap over Real Madrid, whose task in Sevilla is far more difficult, given that Carlo Ancelotti's side would be obliged to win on a ground where their rivals are undefeated this season and where Sevilla have gone 33 games without defeat.

Real Madrid were unconvincing in their 3-0 win over Almeria and without Karim Benzema, Luka Modric, and Gareth Bale, they will have to seriously up their game in order to win.

Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos and Dani Carvajal will all return after Wednesday's win, but Ancelotti must be worried that Sevilla will be physically stronger than his players that could well decide the destiny of this season's title.

Saturday also sees Atletico Madrid and Athletic Club Bilbao face each other at the Vicente Calderon. Atletico look to be closing in on a third-place finish while eighth-placed Athletic Club are aiming to finish seventh and assure a place in next season's Europa League.

Saturday ends with relegation-haunted Deportivo la Coruna desperate for a win at home to sixth-placed Villarreal whose own form has slipped away in recent weeks.

Sunday kicks-off with Espanyol at home to Rayo Vallecano in a match between two sides with little to play for before second from bottom Granada visit a Getafe side wounded after their Camp Nou thrashing and still in need of a win to assure their top-flight future.

Valencia will expect all three points at home to Eibar while Malaga continue their quest for seventh place at home to Elche, whose 4-0 win over Deportivo la Coruna on Wednesday should assure their place La Liga for another year.