Easy run-ins for big three as Spanish title race hots up

Saturday's results in the BBVA Primera Liga have thrown a title race wide open as Barcelona lost their second successive league game, falling 1-0 away to Real Sociedad, while Atletico and Real Madrid both win theirs.

Just before the international break, Barca enjoyed a 12 point cushion over Real and 11 points over Atletico, but that has now been cut to 4 and 3 points respectively and although head to head goal difference would give Barca the advantage in the event of a tie, nerves are appearing in Barcelona.

The pro-Barca sporting paper, Diario Sport published the headline on Sunday 'Keep Calm and Wake Up" to reflect those nerves and although Barca coach Luis Enrique insisted on Saturday night that his side's defeat was more down to their rivals' good play rather than their own poor performances, something is not right.

Key players such as Leo Messi, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets look tired and don't have convincing replacements, as others such as Arda Turan struggle to adapt to their roles at the club.

As long as Busquets and Ivan Rakitic are in central midfield, Barca look OK, but if either is missing the side's football suffers as neither Arda nor fit-again Rafinha carry out the same roles.

The good news for Barca is their calendar is not especially daunting with Valencia, Sporting Gijon and Espanyol all to visit the Camp Nou while there are away trips to face Deportivo la Coruna, Betis, neither of which has much to play for, before ending the season at struggling Granada.

In contrast, Real Madrid have four away games with trips to Getafe and Rayo Vallecano, both of which are in the capital, Real Sociedad and Deportivo la Coruna, while Villarreal and Valencia both visit the Santiago Bernabeu.

In truth that doesn't look too daunting and neither do their neighbors' fixture list until the end of the campaign.

Atletico have four home matches as Granada, Malaga, Rayo and Celta play in the Vicente Calderon, while Athletic Bilbao away looks to be their toughest tie, before they play bottom of the table Levante.

Of course all three sides are still alive and kicking in the Champions League, although with Atletico entertaining Barca this week in the Calderon one of the two will go out, while Real Madrid have to overturn a 2-0 deficit at home to Wolfsburg.

In the race for the Primera Liga, defeat in Europe could save tired legs, but that would be a big price to pay for domestic bragging rights in a season which has suddenly become a lot more interesting. Endi