Four questions to answer in Spain's matchday 36
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E-mail Xinhua, April 28, 2017
A round of midweek matches moved the Spanish Liga Santander closer to its finale and with several potentially decisive fixtures this weekend, here are some things to look out for.
1) Will Barca come thought Espanyol test?
If Barcelona don't win the league this season it will be because they dropped points in away games they were expected to win; defeats in Malaga and La Coruna could prove hugely expensive to Luis Enrique's men who currently lead the table with one more game played than Real Madrid.
Although they will be at full strength, Barca's trip across town to play Espanyol looks on paper more complicated than trips to La Rosaleda or Riazor as Barca's city neighbors would like nothing more than to end their title hopes. Espanyol will just miss out on a place in Europe, but they have a well-organized, solid side and will be happy to sit back and frustrate their rivals, while aiming to play on the break.
Recent Barcelona derbies have been feisty affairs with Barca complaining about what they consider to be Espanyol's over-physical approach and the designation of the permissive Undiano Mallenco will not have pleased many in the Camp Nou.
2) Plan A or plan B for Madrid? And which is which anyhow?
Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane again rested players such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema on Wednesday and was rewarded with a 6-2 win away to Deportivo la Coruna in which their theoretical substitutes Alvaro Morata, Lucas Vazquez and Marco Asensio again produced standout displays.
With Valencia in the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday and the first leg of their Champions League semifinal against Atletico Madrid the following Tuesday, Zidane now has to decide whether to return Ronaldo and Benzema to the side (Gareth Bale is injured), or to continue with the 'fringe' players who at times look to be in better form than the big names who appear to play the big games by decree.
The defeat against Barcelona in which the unfit Bale limped off before the break, showed the error of playing name players ahead of form players, so the dilemma for Zidane is clear: who will play against Valencia and who will miss out against Atletico?
3) Adios Granada?
Rarely have a side deserved to be in the relegation zone more than second from bottom of the table Granada. Their summer planning was a joke with a host of players arriving on loan at the end of the summer transfer window from clubs all over Europe. As a result at times they have looked like a 'team' (if team is the right word) whose players barely speak the same language, but that is because they don't... This season has seen Granada field a starting 11 with 11 players from different nationalities and with no Spanish players in their side.
The fact that most of the players have no link to the city and know they will return to their parent clubs at the end of the campaign has produced a side with a lack of commitment and with an almost frightening mental fragility which falls apart on conceding the first goal.
Defeat away to Real Sociedad will deservedly see Granada become the second team relegated this season after Osasuna and coach Tony Adams knows his task is now to work on building a team for next season with a sense of identity and a spirit.
4) Tough trip for Atletico Madrid?
Atletico Madrid suffered a surprise defeat at home to Villarreal on Tuesday night allowing Sevilla to close to within two points of them in the battle for third place and a direct qualification for next season's Champions League.
Now Atletico face a difficult trip to Las Palmas, who are a much tougher proposition in front of their home fans than on the road, and they will do so without the suspended Diego Godin and the injured Juanfran Torres and Sime Vrsaljko.
Atletico coach, Diego Simeone also has to keep half an eye on Tuesday's Champions League semifinal away to Real Madrid and will probably make some squad rotations at a time he would probably prefer to field his strongest side. A slip up for Atletico in Las Palmas would then open the door for Sevilla, although they too have a difficult game this weekend away to in form Malaga. Enditem
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