Atletico and Real look to pile the pressure on crisis-hit Barca

Real and Atletico Madrid look to pile the pressure on FC Barcelona during the 33rd round of games of the Spanish BBVA Primera Liga this weekend.

Barca don't play their game until Sunday night when they entertain Valencia in the Camp Nou Stadium and so Luis Enrique's side will have plenty of time to contemplate a disastrous three weeks which have seen them take just one point from nine in the league, as well as crash out the quarterfinals of the Champions League against Atletico.

But it is not just the results that are worrying for Barca, it is the way they have performed which has to be the big worry for Luis Enrique, with nearly all of the club's key players looking tired and jaded since the international break.

The fact that Leo Messi has not scored in five games sums up Barca's current form and against a Valencia which last week produced a solid display in order to climb away from the danger zone, they have a rival who could expose any doubts.

By the time that game kicks off at 20:30 local time on Sunday, Barca's lead at the top could have disappeared entirely if Atletico win their home game against struggling Granada, which kicks off two hours earlier.

In contrast to Barca, Atletico returned from the international break with no apparent tiredness and morale at the club is sky high after their win over the Catalans on Wednesday.

Granada could prove to be tough rivals as the side from the south of Spain is clawing away from the relegation zone one point at a time and have drawn their last four games.

Real Madrid are also favorites to take all three points and move to within just one point of Barcelona as they visit Getafe, who have 10 defeats and two draws from their last 12 games.

The other important games at the weekend see Rayo Vallecano at home to fourth place Villarreal with Rayo looking to climb away from danger and Villarreal trying to cement their place.

Celta Vigo will fancy their chances of holding onto fifth when they entertain Betis, who are safe from the drop and with little to play for, while sixth-placed Athletic Club Bilbao will hope tired legs don't affect them on their Sunday lunchtime visit to Malaga.

Sevilla hope to end a run of three straight defeats at home to Deportivo la Coruna, while Sporting Gijon face a must-win trip to Las Palmas as relegation starts to loom on the horizon.

Meanwhile bottom of the table Levante kick off the weekend at home to Espanyol and there is a mid-table Basque derby between Eibar and Real Sociedad. Enditem