MADRID, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- The 21st round of matches in La Liga begins on Friday with the title race and European places tightening among the top seven, while the rest of the league is increasingly preoccupied with relegation.
Last weekend shook the standings as FC Barcelona lost 2-1 away to Real Sociedad, and Real Madrid beat Levante to move within a point of the top.
Madrid heads to third-placed Villarreal on Saturday night, fresh from a confidence-boosting 6-1 home win over Monaco in the Champions League on Sunday. It remains to be seen whether that result marks a turning point for new coach Alvaro Arbeloa.
Madrid's defensive issues persist. Eder Militao and Antonio Rudiger are still sidelined, Raul Asencio is struggling with a calf problem and Aurelien Tchouameni is suspended.
Villarreal, coached by Marcelino Garcia Toral, endured a tough week with a 2-0 league loss to Real Betis and a 2-1 home defeat to Ajax in the Champions League, although key players were rested in Europe.
A Real Madrid win would see Los Blancos top on Saturday night, with Barcelona hosting bottom side Oviedo on Sunday. In theory, Hansi Flick's team should have few problems, but Barcelona's injury list is growing. Pedri is out for several weeks with a hamstring injury and Ferran Torres is sidelined by a calf problem.
Oviedo has shown improvement under new coach Guillermo Almada, pressing higher up the pitch, but that progress has yet to translate into points.
Atletico Madrid hosts Mallorca and would move third with a win if Villarreal drop points. Mallorca's home victory over Athletic Club last weekend eased its relegation worries.
Friday's action opens with second-bottom Levante at home to an Elche side still searching for its first away win. Rayo Vallecano entertains Osasuna, who is also yet to win away from El Sadar.
Valencia climbed out of the bottom three by beating Getafe last weekend but faces a stern test at home to Espanyol, who remains fifth despite a run of two defeats and a draw.
Athletic Club visits Sevilla with both sides hovering just above the relegation zone. Athletic's league form has dipped, leaving the club five points clear of the bottom three, but Ernesto Valverde's team gained a major lift from a Champions League win away to Atalanta on Wednesday.
Real Sociedad hosts Celta Vigo in a meeting of two in-form teams. Sociedad will be without suspended Carlos Soler and injured Take Kubo.
Just one point from the last 15 has dropped Alaves into the bottom three, increasing the pressure on coach Eduardo Caudet ahead of a difficult match against Betis.
The weekend concludes with Girona chasing a fourth straight win at home to Getafe. Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Claudio Echevarri could make their debuts for Girona, while Getafe arrives in freefall after five defeats and a draw from their last six matches. ■
