Rotate or not? La Liga title chasers face tough calls amid hectic schedule
Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid are locked in a Champions League battle but must first turn their attention to two other derby clashes in La Liga this weekend before they can settle it.
With leaders Barcelona in action on Saturday against Osasuna, the capital clubs both face tough games as they try to keep up with the pace in the tightest of title races.
Champions Real Madrid welcome high-flying Rayo Vallecano on Sunday, right after Diego Simeone's Atletico visit Getafe.
Los Blancos have England midfielder Jude Bellingham back from suspension but are concerned about Kylian Mbappe's last two performances.
After a slow start, the French superstar hit the sublime level everyone expected of him but failed to find the net against Real Betis last weekend and in the Champions League last-16 first-leg win over Atletico on Tuesday.
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti admitted Mbappe's conditioning was affected by a tooth issue.
"He had no physical problems, he hasn't been able to train much because his toothache didn't allow him to do so," said the Italian coach after the 2-1 win against Atletico.
"Against Betis, he wasn't in the best condition and these minutes have been good for him to get him in the best condition for the next game."
Rayo Vallecano are seventh and fighting for European football next season.
Inigo Perez's side were beaten 1-0 by Barcelona in February but deserved more from the match as they showed they can handle themselves against the league's top sides.
Getafe, by contrast, are fighting relegation, currently 14th and six points clear of the drop zone, but all teams know a trip to the Coliseum Alfonso Perez is synonymous with a tough time.
Jose Bordalas' unforgiving side have a score to settle with Atletico after suffering a 5-0 thrashing on the road in the Copa del Rey in February.
With Atletico needing to save strength for their attempted comeback against Real Madrid, Simeone could rotate his pack.
The coach has a deep squad and the likes of Alexander Sorloth, Angel Correa and Conor Gallagher could be brought into the starting line-up.
As ever, Atletico coach Simeone insisted the Getafe game was at the forefront of his mind, not the second leg at the Metropolitano stadium.
"We have our first thoughts on Getafe, without a doubt - from Sunday we will start thinking about this tie," said Simeone.
"Sunday will be tough, against Getafe, we are going to focus on that."
Barcelona, who earned a 1-0 win at Benfica in the Champions League, may also choose to rotate when they face Osasuna at home.
Alejandro Balde suffered an ankle problem in the final stages of the match in Lisbon and after Gerard Martin stood in for him last weekend and scored, Hansi Flick may call on him again.
Player to watch: Ante Budimir
The Osasuna target man is his team's main hope of causing danger against La Liga leaders Barcelona on Saturday as the team from Pamplona continue their fight for European football. Budimir netted his 58th top-flight goal for the club last weekend, surpassing the previous club record of 57.
Key stats
3: Red cards received by Real Sociedad players in their last three league games.
7: Bottom-of-the-table Valladolid are without a win in seven matches and face Valencia in a relegation dogfight.
71: Free-scoring Barca are the division's most prolific side, with Real Madrid second on 55 strikes.
Fixtures
Saturday
- Celta Vigo vs. Leganes
- Alaves vs. Villarreal
- Valencia vs. Valladolid
- Barcelona vs. Osasuna
Sunday
- Getafe vs. Atletico Madrid
- Real Madrid vs. Rayo Vallecano
- Athletic Bilbao vs. Mallorca
- Real Betis vs. Las Palmas
- Real Sociedad vs. Sevilla
Monday
- Espanyol vs. Girona