Well Valencia managed to scrape a victory over Zaragoza and then last weekend beat already relegated Levante by five goals to one, which means that they no longer have to fear being relegated. How a team as big as Valencia can allow themselves to get in such a predicament though is anyone’s guess, and there will have to be an enormous rebuilding job during the summer. Valencia though have serious financial problems, and it has already been made known that David Villa, David Silva and Joaquin will be sold off once the league is finished.
Atlético Madrid on the other hand are already celebrating getting back into the Champions league after an eleven year absence. Coach Javier Aguirre has been criticized all season, even by his own president, but it looks as if he will be carrying on the new project come September. This last game of the season is a mere formality then, and Atlético Madrid are only playing for the faint hope of finishing third if Barcelona lose to Murcia.
Valencia’s fans will be given one last chance to vent their spleen this season, and even though the club will show off the King’s cup they recently won in the final against Getafe, I doubt if the fans will be too bothered by it. They have had to suffer a lot more than any of the big teams this year, and the best Valencia can do now is finish ninth, almost thirty points behind title winners Real Madrid. The only truly good thing to come out of Valencia’s season is entrance to the UEFA cup due to the King’s cup victory, but even that is of little consolation after months of bad play, internal struggles and players rebelling.
I’m going for an away win here. Valencia just want the season to end in order to start the rebuilding process, and I shouldn’t wonder if caretaker coach Voro will leave out a few key players. Albelda, Vicente, and Marchena haven’t trained due to various physical problems, and it is more than likely that they won’t pull on the Valencia shirt again.
Prediction: Away win (1-3)

Atlético Madrid have to pick themselves up after their awful performance away to Villarreal at the weekend where they lost by three goals to nil and put next season’s Champions league involvement in doubt. The red and whites were six points behind Villarreal but that has now been extended to nine points and Racing de Santander’s win means Atlético are still in fourth place but with the same points as Racing. Anything but a win here against an in form Almeria side could mean a huge disappointment for the fans who need just the slightest excuse to berate their team and more specifically coach Javier Aguirre.
Almeria by contrast don’t have to suffer any of Atlético’s pressure at the moment. Their objective this season was to avoid the relegation drop back down to the second division and this they have more than achieved. They beat almost relegated Levante at home at the weekend by two goals to one and showed once again why they are kings of the dead ball goal. Both their goals came from corners like on so many occasions this season, and their defense was more than prepared to shake off Levante’s attacks. They are currently in eighth place and amazingly are fighting for a place in the UEFA cup zone. Being just three points behind sixth placed Sevilla, they could get their dream come true and will be treating this match like a final.
In team news, Simao Sabrosa is still in the dry dock and will miss this match. Atlético Madrid really missed him against Villarreal and his absence here will leave a big hole in the midfield. Also out for Atlético are Mariano Pernia and Thiago Motta, while Juan Valera is back in full training after being out for over a month. One Atlético Madrid player who more than likely won’t be making an appearance on Sunday is Jose Antonio Reyes. The ex-Arsenal midfielder was apparently involved in a bust up with coach Javier Aguirre and gravely insulted the Mexican manager. It is doubtful that he will pull on the Atlético shirt again and will more than likely be sold at the end of the season.
As for Unai Emery, the Almeria coach, he only has to decide whether to bring back Miguel Angel Coroner into the side or not. The Spanish midfielder has been out for six days and has made a remarkably fast recovery from a muscle tear, as he was marked to be out of contention for at least three weeks.
This is going to be a very hard game to predict. Atlético Madrid are capable of the best –and worst- this season, but aren’t in fourth place because of luck. If they want to keep in fourth position they will have to win. As for Almeria, they are in a comfortable position in the league and I don’t think they will have Atlético’s drive to get the three points in this one. Also, they have only won three away games this season.
Prediction: Home win (3-1)

The ‘Fifa virus’ has hit again and this time it is Atlético Madrid’s turn to be the victim. Portuguese midfielder Simao Sabrosa will miss this vital clash on Sunday owing to a thigh strain he picked up during the Portugal vs. Greece friendly international on Wednesday. He limped off after just fifteen minutes so as not to aggravate the injury, but it seems he hasn’t been able to shake it off in time. This comes as a great disappointment to coach Javier Aguirre, who joins other managers with international players who don’t want these games played at the end of the season when their best players are needed the most.
Villarreal have gone twenty nine games aspiring to get into the Champions league, but now it seems they could be in with a shout of winning the league, too. They play hosts to an in form Atlético Madrid side who last weekend got an impressive (and rather unexpected) win away at Sevilla. A win here for Atlético would narrow the gap between third and fourth places to three points, but if Villarreal take it they could even end the weekend in second place depending on what Barcelona do and come within three points of Real Madrid. So a very important game for both clubs and one that will be very intense form the kick off.
Villarreal coach Pellegrini will not be able to count on Guille Franco, but apart from the Frenchman the rest of the squad is fit. For Atlético Madrid the problem for Javier Aguirre is finding the right replacement for Simao. That will probably fall to ex-Liverpool midfielder Luis Garcia, as it seems Jose Antonio Reyes has less chance of getting a game every week.
I’m going for a draw here as these are two evenly matched sides who never give up trying to score and who have everything to play for.
Prediction: Draw (2-2)

Both Sevilla and Atlético got very important wins at the weekend, over Valencia and Levante respectively. They now have to face each other fighting over the fourth spot and the last place in the Champions league. One or the other will qualify for the maximum European trophy, and the side that doesn’t will have to face up to the fact that their season has been less than what they were hoping for. Sevilla have been eliminated from the present Champions league by Turkish side Fenerbahce, and are desperate to qualify again. Atlético meanwhile, went out of this year’s UEFA cup at the hands of Bolton Wanderers and really need to give their fans something to shout about.
This is going to be a very hard fought game with lots of hard tackles and I wouldn’t be surprised if the referee will play an important part in the outcome of this match. On paper Sevilla has the edge as Atlético haven’t won at the Sanchez Pizjuan stadium for over fifteen years. However, Sunday’s game against Levante showed what they can do and Uruguayan striker Diego Forlan got on the score sheet twice in a comfortable three – nil win which should have ended five or six nothing. If Atlético Madrid can recreate that kind of form against Sevilla, there should be a good game in store.
Sevilla saw off Valencia at the Mestalla stadium from another great goal scorer this season in the shape of Brazilian Luis Fabiano. He also got two goals which meant Ronald Koeman’s men were always trying to level the score. They eventually did get one back but it was a minute form the end of the game and too little too late.
I can’t see Sevilla throwing away this opportunity to go fourth. At home they haven’t lost in the league since November and have picked up six wins and a draw. Atlético meanwhile have lost their last two league games away from their Calderon stadium, and I can see it being three come next Sunday. If will be a tough game though and I am predicting a narrow Sevilla win with possibly quite a few goals.
Prediction: home win (3-2)

Zaragoza slipped further into their own particular crisis last weekend as coach Javier Irureta resigned after seeing his side lose away to bottom club Levante. He stated that he had to go as his message wasn’t getting through to the players in the dressing room and it would be better for all concerned if he went. The club have given Manolo Villanova the chance to save Zaragoza from relegation. Villanova was the coach at third division outfit Sociedad Deportiva Huesca, and this will be a great opportunity for the sixty four year old. That brings the number of managers this season to four, the previous two lasting little more than a month.
Zaragoza really have to start playing the style of football they are used to if they want to avoid relegation. At the start of the season much was written on how this Zaragoza would be the one to make great inroads into Europe, but even with a fantastic squad things couldn’t have gone worse. They are now seventeenth in the table and with the same points as Recreativo de Huelva, who occupy the last relegation spot. Zaragoza have lost their last four league games and have only won twice this year. When you think that they have players of the caliber of Ayala, Aimar, Oliviera, or Milito, you have to start thinking that there must be something very wrong within the club.
For their part Atlético Madrid go into this game in a much better frame of mind after their impressive four goals to two win over Barcelona last weekend. Coach Javier Aguirre had started to be criticized from all directions after crashing out of the UEFA cup to Bolton Wanderers, be that win over the Catalan giants seems to have closed quite a few mouths for the moment. Atlético are still occupying the fourth place in the league but won’t be able to rest as they have Espanyol and Racing de Santander right behind them.
Atlético still have Giorgios Seitaridis and Thiago Motta out injured as well as keeper Leo Franco. The good news is that both Simao and Raul Garcia are fit again and should take some part in this match. For Zaragoza, Brazilian midfielder Matuzalem will be back in his natural position in the center of the pitch, but Argentinean ace Pablo Aimar is still out through injury.
Many people would fancy Atlético to win this but I’m going for a home win here. As with most clubs, when a new coach arrives the players will try that bit harder to impress and I am sure that is what will happen here. Villanova has also returned his players to their natural positions which I think will make a big difference.
Prediction: Home win (2-1)

This Barcelona side is just getting better and better. At the weekend they saw off lowly Levante at home by a predictable five goals to one, with Cameroon ace Samuel Eto’o showing the world he was back to his old form by shoving three past Levante’s keeper. The Catalan side has now extended their unbeaten run to eight matches, and only two of those games ended in draws. They have been able to recuperate an amazing seven points from leaders Real Madrid in just one month, and everything tells me they will continue adding to their account in this game too.
For Atlético Madrid though, things couldn’t be any worse than they are now. This week has seen the side booted out of the UEFA cup by a struggling Bolton Wanderers and they have lost their last two league games, allowing themselves to slip from third to fourth place. They still occupy a Champions league spot, which is good news, but not for much longer if they keep up with their terrible form.
Barcelona are in second spot but a massive thirteen points in front of the Madrid club, and they will be traveling to the Calderon stadium convinced that they can get all three points. They should be convinced, too. Their football is perhaps the most attractive and the most reliable in the league, and they still have that six goals to nil thumping they give Atlético last season on their minds.
In team news the Ronaldinho of old finally reappeared for Barca against Levante. He started the game and was relaxed, very much part of the game, and most importantly he looked very happy to be playing football. Deco and Thierry Henry were given a rest for the game and will almost certainly start this one.
Barcelona played the semi final of the King’s cup on Wednesday at home to Valencia, and were almost given a surprise defeat. Villa scored for Valencia in the seventieth minute, but Xavi equalized for the home team in stoppage time, with another polemic goal due to a handball from Eto’o.
I’m going for the away win here as I can’t really see Atlético Madrid dragging themselves out of their lethargy in front of Barca. It might not end in the six nil humiliation like last season, but Barca I’m sure will take all three points and might even end the weekend as leaders of La Liga.
Prediction: Away win (1-3)