Spanish La Liga (Photo : Getty Images)
Nobody expected Barcelona to struggle at this point of the season. In fact, none envisioned Barca to squander a significant lead in the Spanish La Liga leader board. On Sunday, Lionel Messi and company are facing a must-win situation against Valencia. Atletico Madrid, on the other hand, tries to stay within striking distance of snatching the La Liga title at the tail end of the season, as it takes on Granada.
Barcelona vs. Valencia at 2:30 p.m US (ET) on beIn Sports Connect USA, Fubo TV, Radio Barca / Starting Lineup on ESPN FC
On the line: After dropping their last two La Liga assignments, Barcelona (76 points) suddenly found themselves with a solitary lead over Real Madrid (75 points) in the Spanish La Liga standings. Suddenly, the terrific trio of Messi, Neymar and Suarez is having hard time finding the back of the net.
Barca cannot afford to lose this match against Valencia. There's too much at stake in this match for Barca to lose. With the two Madrid-based ballclubs closing in, Barca must re-group and beat Valencia to take some breathing room in the standings.
As for Valencia, this is their chance to exact some revenge against Barcelona after losing to them by seven points in their Copa del Rey quarterfinal tie last February. With five games left in their schedule, Los Che needs to win at least two of that to fend off relegation, and of course, there's no sweeter thing than beating the La Liga powerhouse.
Prediction & Predicted Winner: Barcelona 4-0. They know how pivotal this match is for their championship campaign, so it won't be surprising if they pour all their frustration the past two weeks on Valencia.
Atletico Madrid vs. Granada at 12:30 p.m US ET on beIn Sports USA, Sky Sports / Starting Lineup on ESPN FC
On the line: As mentioned above, the race for this year's Spanish La Liga title suddenly becomes a three-way race involving Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and Barcelona. Diego Simeone's men have been on a roll as of late, winning their last three La Liga matches and booting out Barcelona in the quarterfinal of UEFA Champions League.
Granada (30 points), meanwhile, is trying to avoid relegation. They are currently the first team above the relegation line, just one point above Sporting (29 points).
Prediction & Predicted Winner: It's a no brainer. Atletico Madrid is going to blow Granada out of the water in this one. Remember the Spanish La Liga championship is on the line here. A victory over Granada and a Barcelona loss to Valencia would put the two on top of La Liga standings with 76 points each.
