Guillem Balague believes Espanyol will avoid relegation while Barcelona continue to bounce back.
Guillem gives his view on this week's live La Liga games
Our Spanish football expert Guillem Balague looks ahead to another weekend of live La Liga action on Sky Sports. If you've got a question for Guillem, send it in here.Athletic Bilbao v Real Madrid
Atletico Madrid v Villarreal
Almeria v Barcelona
Athletic Bilbao v Real Madrid
9.00pm, Saturday, Sky Sports 3
Athletic Bilbao had a clear target this season which was in the cup and not to get relegated. They managed to get to the final for the first time in 24 years and the pictures of the fans were fantastic. It's a great stadium and this game is seen like a national dispute between Madrid and the Basque country, although the politics involved is mainly from the Bilbao end.
Madrid will come back from Anfield with a desire to recover some of the ground they lost against Barcelona. There were mistakes made by Juande Ramos in the line up - Higuain being left out and Diarra placed at right back. I heard the explanations but Juande Ramos unbalanced the side, as he admitted himself, so I'm sure it will be a very balanced side this time.
Atletico Madrid v Villarreal
6.00pm, Saturday, Sky Sports 3
Atletico have been playing very well against the top teams. I'm sure they will play very well against Villarreal who are, as usual, very solid. They try to impose their own pace on the game, which is very slow, very Latin American, and then use the pace of Nihat or Giuseppe Rossi up front to make the difference.
Atletico Madrid are very solid at the moment. Their lines are very close to each other and the defensive line is pushing up because they feel that way they can avoid the amount of penalties and set pieces around the box that they used to concede. I want to see them against smaller sides. That will be a real measure of them because the problem for them has never been to raise their game against the big teams, their problem is consistency. I want to see how they react against the so-called smaller sides.
Almeria v Barcelona
8.00pm, Sunday, Sky Sports 3
Barcelona have recovered their pressure high up the pitch, their pace and their quick distribution. They did that by recovering a midfield that was born in the lower teams of Barcelona with Xavi and Sergio Busquets.
In fact, there were seven players from lower Barcelona teams in their squad, which in this time is something almost unheard of. It helped them recover some of their roots and now they want to see Eto'o scoring for them and to hit the form that will take them to the title at the end of the season.
Guillem answers your questions...
Got a question for Guillem? Then send it in here or use the feedback form below. ALIPIO ALERT!Hi Guillem, first of all, I'm a big fan, keep up the brilliant work. Secondly, I was just wondering what you knew about Alípio Duarte Brandão. I've read a bit about him and he seems a bright prospect for the future of Real Madrid, I wonder if you could tell me how he's doing since he was moved up to Castilla and what you see in his future? Also are there any hidden gems currently in the youth teams of La Liga that will be taking all the headlines in years to come? Thanks, Chris, Manchester
GUILLEM REPLIES: Alipio made his debut for Madrid in mid February and scored a couple of goals with Real Madrid 'C' against the United States, so he has started well. He has been compared to Cristiano Ronaldo but we'll have to see what happens in the long term, its early days. He's being sold by the Real press as a big promise and he has trained with the 'A' team a couple of times but you will have to have patience with him. Gai Assulin at Barcelona looks to be a good prospect, there is also Koke at Atletico Madrid or Iker Muniain of Athletic Bilbao and the centre back from Espanyol, Manu Reina. They're all very young, 17, 18-year-olds, so we'll have to see how they develop. WHERE'S VAN DER?
Hey Guillem. Please can you tell me why Van Der Vaart is not getting first team for Real Madrid? It's not like he's not good enough. He's better than Lass and Gago. They have been looking for a right midfielder but Van Der Vaart can play on the right. Please can you ask Juande Ramos if you see him. Cheers Elliot Berry GUILLEM REPLIES: I don't think Van Der Vaart is better than Lass or Gago at all. Lass and Gago are proper players but Van Der Vaart hasn't got the stamina, intelligence or fitness to play at this level. His level is much below Real Madrid. In fact Hamburg was probably his best level. ESPANYOL TO ESCAPE?
Hi Guillem. I'm a follower of Espanyol and just wondered what you thought the chances are of them avoiding relegation are this season? Under Pochettino the players seem transformed, however games are running out and the prospect of relegation is becoming very real which I would imagine would be a financial disaster for Espanyol with the club moving to the new stadium next season. In addition Guillem the look on your face in the studio following the derby win last month was priceless, you tried...but failed to contain your joy!!! Good man! All the best Gordon Hunter (Rangers fan)
GUILLEM REPLIES: I tried to hold my emotions! I was just very pleased when we beat Barcelona. I think Paul Jewell, who was in the studio with me, has never seen so much jumping and screaming from a Spaniard before! I think Espanyol can survive. It's going to be very difficult but Espanyol have to meet the likes of Real Betis, Real Mallorca, Osasuna and Sporting. If Espanyol manage to get all the victories at home and a couple of victories away we'll be safe, so there's still a very good possibility. Things are improving, the football is getting better and the players are more confident. De La Pena is playing his best football in a year and around him Raul Tamudo and Luis Garcia are playing better as well, and Nene has been Espanyol's best player. We'll be ok.