Sizzling three-way battle for La Liga reaching boiling point

The battle for the Primera Division title could come to a head this weekend in the penultimate round of the season.

Barcelona will clinch a sixth championship in eight years if results go their way on Sunday but Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid will be determined to keep things alive to the final day.

Here’s a look at some of the talking points in the title fight.

How can Barcelona wrap up the title this weekend?

Although Barca are level on 85 points with Atletico and only one point ahead of Real with two rounds remaining, Luis Enrique’s men could actually retain their title on Sunday. That is because they boast the better head-to-head record against both capital clubs this season, which would be decisive should they finish level on points with either side. However, for Barca to clinch the trophy with a game to spare they would not only need to beat city rivals Espanyol but for Atletico to lose to relegated Levante and Real to drop points at home to Valencia.

Will the Madrid clubs suffer any European hangover?

Aletico have won their last six Primera Division games, Real their last 10 — it remains to be seen how they react to their midweek European exertions. Mentally the two title hopefuls will undoubtedly be on a high after reaching the Champions League final, but physically the efforts in overcoming Bayern Munich and Manchester City in their respective semi-finals could yet hand Barca an advantage.

Are Barcelona over their wobble?

Barca were on course for historic back-to-back trebles not so long ago but a run of four defeats and a draw in six matches saw them dumped out of the Champions League and their nine-point lead in La Liga whittled away to zero. However, since last month’s home loss to Valencia they have beaten Deportivo La Coruna 8-0, Sporting Gijon 6-0 and Real Betis 2-0, suggesting they have recovered their form at just the right time with two games left in La Liga and a Copa del Rey final against Sevilla to come.

What chance have Espanyol of upsetting the odds at the Nou Camp?

A derby match is always an unknown quantity and Espanyol are still not quite safe from the drop, sitting five points clear of the relegation places with six points to play for. So Constantin Galca’s men cannot afford to ease off this weekend, even if their fans would allow it. However, Espanyol may not have much say in the matter — they have not beaten Barca in their last 15 meetings, suffering 12 defeats, while Barca have won the last seven derbies at the Nou Camp by a combined 21-2 scoreline.

Who has the toughest run-in?

None of the current top five face each other in the final two weeks of the season, which suggests upsets are likely to be thin on the ground. However, Barca, Real and Atletico each have what looks to be one potential banana skin and one readily winnable match in their remaining games. Barca’s toughest match would appear to be the derby against Espanyol, with their final match coming at Granada. Real’s hardest test also appears to be this Sunday, with a rejuvenated Valencia visiting the Bernabeu before Zinedine Zidane’s men sign off with a trip to a Deportivo side who have won just once in 22 matches. For Diego Simeone’s Atletico, it is their final game against sixth-placed Celta Vigo which looks like it could pose more problems than this weekend’s match with Levante.