Atleti will host Barcelona immediately after the international break; a local win or tie could bring Real Madrid within a victory of first place. The Catalans bent the knee to Simeone in the Spanish Cup, where a 4-0 first leg ended with any chances of a Barca final. Atletico, more worried about the Champions League and having secured top four in La Liga, will be probably be relaxed, but always dangerous. Atleti has an amazing form at home, second only to Barcelona’s.

The Clasico will be played under the umbrella of one of three scenarios. One of them is that Barcelona will have all but secured the title, in which case, and depending on the Champions League, could mean a strange Barca-Madrid match with plenty of non-starters. If both teams are still at arm’s reach from each other, this could be one of the most intense Madrid-Barca in years, especially as both teams, currently on separate sides of the UCL bracket, could possibly make the final. It would mean the first Clasico European final, ever.

Sevilla will host Real Madrid in the penultimate Liga week, in a match in which the Andaluces better have done their homework to avoid relegation. Sevilla has sacked their manager (again) as of this writing, and will be scrambling to put distance between them and bottom three, currently three points away. For Real, if they make it out of Barcelona alive, this match could still mean something. If both teams are fighting for their respective objectives, this match could be even more intense than most Real Madrid-Sevilla matches already are.

With top four firmly secured, Villarreal will host Atletico on the final day of the season. This could be the first time in 20 years that the team from Castellon lands a top-three finish; if Atletico is still involved in UCL knockout rounds through April and May, it will be one of the best chances they have to do so in recent history. As it stands, the Yellow Submarine is third after Atletico lost to Real over the weekend, and with Gerard Moreno and Mikautadze in good form, Atletico will have to focus on both competitions if they want to keep their Rest of the Best title. For Villarreal, this would be the first time in history they make back-to-back Champions League qualification.

Getafe’s visit to San Sebastian will be a six-pointer, and knowing Bordalas, his team will be ready and absolutely comfortable with an away match. The Getafe manager has proven, time and time again, that he is the perfect match for the club; no matter how many times he tries to move on to better things, nobody else seems to understand his style of play, which inevitable lands him back at Getafe, back to not having enough players by end of August to start the season, and back to overperforming. It works for Getafe though, and they currently sit an inexplicable six points away from UCL qualification. Europa or Conference League spots are more achievable for them though, and if the run continues with a good match against Real Sociedad, it could be the turning point for one of the best seasons for Getafe in ages.

Valencia is in the form of their season, having taken 18 points from their last 10 games, already more than the first half of the season. In front of them, Athletic Club in the middle of an identity crisis, with manager Ernesto Valverde having announced he will leave at the end of the season, but with the likely return of Nico Williams. The Spanish international missed several weeks with a chronic groin injury (a similar one than what Lamine Yamal or Cole Palmer have) and will want to make up for lost time, bring Athletic back to European places, and on the way there, book a ticket to the World Cup for himself.

These two teams could play in mid-May for a spot in Europe, and for Real, an inconsistent Valencia away from home will mean a good chance to secure the three points. Expect this match will be one with both fanbases hoping to win, and simultaneously looking at their phones to see what Athletic, Celta, Betis or Getafe are doing.

By mid April, Levante could be playing its last card to avoid relegation, and if Sevilla doesn’t do its homework, they could be dragged down by the Granotas. Sevilla will have a new manager by then (likely to be ex-Alaves Luis García Plaza), and will have to avoid a loss if they want to keep relegation fears away. Levante is not strong at home this season, but they have accumulated eight points out of the past 18: there is hope.

Direct fight between two relegation-threatened sides. Elche started the season like a rocket, with a combination of a great playing style, and a very healthy point tally. In the second half things have soured, and the Alicantinos have won one out of the past ten matches. In front, a renewed Deportivo Alaves thanks to the experience of Quique Sanchez Flores, and three great performances in the first three matches for the new manager. This is likely to be a match which saves one team and sentences the other.

It’s check-your-phone time: the last match of the season will see several teams at the bottom play against each other. Mallorca may have a great chance to win three easy points against a likely-relegated Oviedo, and the same could be said for Levante if Betis do their homework ahead of the match. Girona-Elche and Alavés-Rayo could also mean wins for Elche and Rayo if Girona and Alavés are not playing for anything by then. I expect relegation-fighting teams to get plenty of points in the last week.