No room for error for Barca or Madrid in Spain's matchday 36

There are just three games left in the Spanish BBVA Primera Liga season and this weekend's coming round of matches once again will be vital for both the top and the bottom of the table.

Both league leaders, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid will once again have to shake off tired legs as they prepare for their matches on Saturday.

Barca defend their 2-point lead at home to an in-form Real Sociedad in the Camp Nou Stadium and although his players will be in good spirits in the wake of their 3-0 win over Bayern Munich on Wednesday night, Luis Enrique will introduce changes to his side with Claudio Bravo back in goal, while Adrian and Xavi Hernandez both have a chance of making the starting 11.

Real Sociedad are in mid-table but in good form themselves after drawing in Bilbao and defeating Levante and David Moyes has bit-by-bit begun to build a solid group of players.

Barca's game is followed by Real Madrid playing what is almost certainly their most difficult game in what remains of the campaign as Valencia visit the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

Karim Benzema could return to action after overcoming his knee injury but should Barca win their match, Real Madrid will kick off knowing that anything less than a win will mean the end of their league title ambitions.

Carlo Ancelotti has a difficult choice to make knowing that the following Wednesday his side have to entertain Juventus in the same ground and overcome their 2-1 defeat in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final.

He will still be without Luka Modric for the game against a rival who have their sights firmly set on taking third place in the table from under the noses of Atletico Madrid and who will travel to Madrid with far fresher legs than their rivals.

If Ronaldo remains at his best, Real Madrid will feel more confident, but it could be a tense 90 minutes if Valencia play their usual compact game and look to make Real Madrid suffer on the break.

Atletico Madrid will defend their third place away to Levante on Sunday lunchtime in a game where the high temperatures expected on the east coast could be a factor, while fifth placed Sevilla have a tricky match away to Celta Vigo, who still maintain a slight chance of taking seventh place in the league.

That seventh places is looking increasingly as if it could fall for Athletic Club Bilbao, whose grip on it will tighten considerably if they can beat relegation haunted Deportivo la Coruna in Saturday's late kick off.

Meanwhile Granada will look to throw themselves a relegation lifeline at home to bottom of the table Cordoba, who have already been confirmed for the drop, while Almeria look for their third consecutive home win against a Malaga side that looks as if the holidays have already started.

Eibar hope for only their second win the second half of the season as Espanyol visit Ipurua, while Villarreal can assure sixth place if they are able to beat an Elche side who are now safe from relegation. Endi