MADRID, April 28 (silubaba) -- The 32nd round of matches in La Liga comes hot on the heels of a round of midweek games, and ahead of another set of fixtures next week.
Consequently, some coaches will rotate their squads where they can to keep their players as fresh as possible, although European ambitions and the need to avoid relegation will certainly affect team selections this weekend.
The round of games kicks off with Osasuna entertaining Real Sociedad on Friday night.
Osasuna is just eight days from only the second cup final in their history and won't take risks with key players. It could be good news for their rivals, who have a five-point cushion in fourth but have failed to score in four of their last five league games away from home.
Elche could be mathematically relegated to the second division if they lose to Rayo Vallecano on Saturday afternoon, and Rayo will travel to the southeast of Spain after their impressive win at home to Barca kept their own European hopes alive.
Real Madrid needs to improve on the display from their 4-2 defeat in Girona, and coach Carlo Ancelotti will continue his policy of squad rotations ahead of the Copa del Rey final and their UEFA Champions League semifinal against Manchester City.
Expect Rodrygo to start against struggling Almeria, while Dani Ceballos, Lucas Vazquez and Aurelien Tchouameni could also come into the starting 11.
There is a lot at stake when Barcelona entertains Betis on Saturday night, with Barca needing to improve on their poor display against Rayo, while Betis needs points to bolster their faltering European ambitions.
Sergio Busquets will return for Barca after missing out in midweek through suspension, and Andreas Christensen could also be back on the bench after his ankle injury.
Betis travels after just one win in five games saw them slip to sixth in the table, and their qualification in Europe is starting to look in doubt after a poor run of form.
Barca still holds an 11-point lead at the top of the table, but is starting to look like a marathon runner suffering badly in the closing stages of the race.
Two wins in two games have lifted Valencia out of the bottom three, and they can put distance between themselves and the drop zone if they take three points away to Cadiz, who has slipped back into danger.
Fifth-placed Villarreal needs to beat Celta Vigo to keep their Champions League hopes alive, while there is a huge game between second from bottom Espanyol and third bottom Getafe.
Espanyol has yet to win since Luis Garcia took over as coach, while Getafe sacked Quique Sanchez Flores in midweek and has Ruben Reyes in temporary charge for the match.
The injury time goal that Valladolid conceded in Valencia on Thursday means they still have work to do to ensure their survival, but Atletico Madrid, who has Alvaro Morata and Antoine Griezmann in form, will be tough rivals to beat.
The round of matches ends on Monday when Mallorca entertains Athletic Club Bilbao, who still has a top-six finish in their own hands despite Thursday's controversial defeat to Sevilla, while Sevilla can continue their recovery with a home game against Girona. ■
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