Wednesday 20 April 2016 18:56, UK
The La Liga title race hots up on Wednesday - and Barcelona could be knocked off top spot if their recent dismal form continues.
Just one month ago, if you were to suggest anyone other than Barcelona as La Liga champions come May, your opinion would have been dismissed as foolish in the extreme.
But Spain's title race has become an enthralling one as Barca have crumbled and the men from the capital have closed the gap.
Valencia's trip to the Nou Camp seemingly presented Luis Enrique's side with the perfect platform to put their midweek Champions League exit behind them, but they slumped to a 2-1 home defeat on Sunday night - their third in a row - to leave them ahead of Atletico on their head-to-head record and just a point ahead of Real.
As the three title chasers prepare for a midweek test - live on Sky - we look at how things could pan out with five games to go...
Form
Two goals to the good at Villarreal on March 20, Barca could do no wrong, but 45 minutes later, the seeds of doubt were planted.
Luis Enrique's men threw away a two-goal lead, and have crumbled at home and abroad ever since.
Real Madrid capitalised on an indecisive Barca to secure a vital El Clasico win at the Nou Camp - ending the hosts' 39-game unbeaten run.
Then, a fourth defeat in as many visits to Anoeta saw Real Sociedad inflict further damage to Barca's confidence, before a Champions League exit and the Valencia loss left us all dumbfounded.
Since defeat in the Madrid derby in late February, Real have been imperious domestically. Seven wins in a row, scoring 27 goals in the process, has brought Zinedine Zidane's men right back into the hunt - with Madridistas right behind their team following a stunning Champions League comeback against Wolfsburg.
Atletico have done what they do best and performed when it really matters. Diego Simeone's men have won seven of the last eight and have a huge psychological advantage over Barca - having knocked them out of Europe's premier competition.
In reality, it is Barcelona's to lose with their remaining fixtures seemingly all more than winnable, on paper.
The trip to Galicia to take on Deportivo on Wednesday, live on Sky Sports, represents Barca's highest-placed opponent in their remaining five matches - and they are currently 13th.
Another potential stumbling block is the derby clash with Espanyol on May 8, but Real and Atletico have much more imposing games to come.
Los Blancos face a real test of their metal against Villarreal on Wednesday, also live on Sky Sports, with trips to city neighbours Rayo Vallecano and Barca conquerors Sociedad to follow, sandwiching their Champions League semi-final commitments. Deportivo on the final day will be no pushovers either.
Once Atletico have negotiated a tough trip to Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday, Malaga make the trip to the Vicente Calderon. Then they can concentrate on finding a way past the might of Bayern Munich, with fixtures against teams fighting at the wrong end of the league up next domestically.
A final day clash with Celta Vigo will not be easy, but Simeone's sides seem to find the reserves when it really matters, no matter who the opponent.
Head-to-head rule
Barca have the advantage if they finish level on points with their title rivals when the season draws to a close.
If Barcelona end up level with either Atletico or Real at the end of the La Liga season, the Catalan club will prevail on the head-to-head rule.
Unlike the Premier League, which is settled on goal difference, La Liga's tie breakers are decided by a straight aggregate scoreline between the two sides.
Despite beating Barcelona 2-1 in El Clasico earlier this month, Real's 4-0 defeat earlier in the season has them at a disadvantage, while Atletico lost both their league games against Barcelona earlier in the season 2-1.
If Atletico and Real Madrid were to finish level on points, Atletico would prevail having beaten their city rivals at the Bernabeu earlier this year, following a 1-1 draw at the Vicente Calderon last autumn.
Conclusion
Despite doing their best to make things interesting on the Iberian Peninsula, Barcelona should still secure their sixth La Liga title in eight seasons, with their fixtures by far the most favourable.
Both Madrid sides have Champions League commitments to contend with, and much more difficult games to come.
However, Barca are very much a team in disarray. Even with their attacking triumvirate of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar fit they looked very flat in attack against Valencia - highly unusual for them.
Atletico will go about things the way they normally do, and with Simeone at the helm they won't be allowed to relent for a second.
And, after appearing to be down and out, with the pressure mounting on rookie boss Zidane's shoulders, Real have completely turned things around, and with Cristiano Ronaldo firing on all cylinders, who'd bet against them completing a stunning fightback. All to play for!
Who do you think has the toughest run-in? Let us know using the message boards or by tweeting @SkyFootball
