Bernabeu crisis big factor in matchday 27 in Spain

Crisis looms over the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium as match-day 27 of the Spanish BBVA Primera Liga looms on the horizon.

Although Real Madrid qualified for the last eight of the Champions League on Tuesday night, their 4-3 defeat at home to Schalke 04 left them clinging to the ropes and begging for the final whistle. That whistle when it came was greeted by a chorus of boos from the fans in the stadium and headlines filled with dark talk of crisis following a defeat in Bilbao and a 1-1 draw at home to Villarreal.

That means anything less than a resounding win at home to struggling Levante on Sunday will see a further chorus of disapproval just a week before they travel to face FC Barcelona in the Clasico.

Luka Modric will have more game time on Sunday and it will be interesting to see if under-pressure Carlo Ancelotti decides to rest the out of form Gareth Bale and Iker Casillas.

Barcelona could well have moved four points clear by the time Real Madrid kick off. The league leaders travel to the Basque country on Saturday to face an Eibar in freefall after seven straight defeats.

Eibar will say there is no better rival to get back on track against that Barca and the Catalans will have to dig deep on the small Ipurua pitch, but one of the main worries will be for Javier Mascherano to avoid a booking which would see him suspended for the following week.

Meanwhile Neymar returns to the side after suspension.

Both Atletico Madrid and Valencia will have thought last week that they had missed a chance to close in on the top of the table in the wake of Real Madrid's defeat and the 1-1 draw in the Calderon favored neither of their interests.

Valencia could move temporarily into fourth place on Friday night if they win at home to Deportivo la Coruna and that would pressure Atletico Madrid who face a tricky game away to Espanyol on Saturday afternoon.

Saturday also sees Rayo Vallecano, who lost 6-1 to Barca last week, entertain second from bottom Granada in a game vital for both sides aims of avoiding relegation, while the day ends with Athletic Club taking a three-game winning run to Celta Vigo.

Almeria, still reeling from the deduction of three points, which has dropped them into the bottom three, are at home to Villarreal, who will make changes after Thursday's Europa League tie against Sevilla who in turn look to keep their hopes of a top four finish alive when they play at home to Elche

Seventh-placed Malaga have the chance of qualifying for Europe and will be hopeful of all three points at home to bottom of the table Cordoba, who slipped to their sixth successive defeat on Monday after conceding two goals in the last three minutes against Getafe, who in turn bring the round of matches to an end on Monday night at home to Real Sociedad, who have yet to win at home all season. Endi