Champions Real Madrid will hope to prevent Barcelona from moving further ahead in the Primera Liga title race this weekend when both clubs face tough home matches.
Madrid fell six points behind Barca last time out after they suffered a 3-1 defeat at local rivals Getafe while Pep Guardiola's pacesetters claimed a hugely impressive 3-0 win over Sevilla.
This Sunday it is Madrid's turn to face Sevilla, who bounced back from that home mauling against Barca with a 3-0 defeat of Partizan Belgrade in the UEFA Cup on Wednesday.
However, key striker Luis Fabiano, who scored two of the goals against Partizan, is suspended for the trip to the Bernabeu so Sevilla coach Manolo Jimenez may have to re-think his game plan.
For Madrid there is really only one game plan - win the game or risk travelling to the Nou Camp for next week's showdown with Barcelona a massive nine points behind the leaders.
"Right now our only concern is Sevilla. We have no reservations about visiting the Nou Camp, but there's still time before we make that trip. We are focused on winning matches one by one, and the next is Sevilla," said Madrid defender Marcelo.
Madrid could have Fabio Cannavaro, Arjen Robben and Gonzalo Higuain all available again this weekend after injury.
That would be a huge boost for coach Bernd Schuster, but he is still likely to be without Ruud van Nistelrooy, Pepe, Gabriel Heinze, Mahamadou Diarra, Wesley Sneijder and Ruben de la Red.
While two-time reigning champions Madrid are fighting an injury crisis and indifferent form, their arch rivals up at Barca could hardly be in ruder health.
Guardiola's all-conquering side have won 10 of their past 11 Primera Liga matches and are unbeaten in any competition since suffering that shock defeat to newly-promoted Numancia in their opening league match.
On Saturday they welcome third-placed Valencia to the Nou Camp, a fixture which last season saw Barca romp to a 6-0 victory.
Barca striker Thierry Henry, who scored twice in that win, has dismissed any suggestion that it will be a walkover again this weekend, though.
"They are a team that has not lost an away game and they have a very good defence," he said. "It will be a difficult game."
Aside from Barca, there are two other Champions League hopefuls playing on Saturday night.
Second-placed Villarreal will be hoping to avoid the same fate that befell Madrid last week when they host Getafe, while Atletico Madrid in sixth travel to the north coast to take on Sporting Gijon.
The Madrid-Sevilla showdown is the pick of Sunday's matches, although there will be plenty of attention paid to Espanyol's trip to Real Betis where new coach Jose Manuel Esnal 'Mane' will try to turn the Catalan side's fortunes around.
Mane was this week named as the replacement for Bartolome Marquez, who was sacked on Sunday night after Espanyol suffered their fourth successive league defeat after going down 1-0 at Sporting.
That left Espanyol in 17th spot in the standings, and they could find themselves in the drop zone if 18th-placed Numancia win their home with Almeria.
Elsewhere this weekend, bottom club Recreativo Huelva travel to Real Mallorca, second-bottom Osasuna host Real Valladolid, Athletic Bilbao make the short trip to Racing Santander and Malaga make the long trip to Deportivo La Coruna.
