Between them, they have won the last 16 league titles and 80 of the 85 in Spanis

h football history. They account for the last 10 Copa del Rey winners and 18 of
the last 20 finalists, only Getafe getting in there with them eight long years a
go. They have won the last three Champions Leagues and the last three Europa Lea
gue too. In fact, they account for five of the last six Champions League finalis
ts as well five of the last seven and eight of the last thirteen UEFA Cup/Europa
League winners. Five of them make up the top six, separated by just three point
s.
And this weekend they play each other. Oh, and there's a Galician derby, too.
Valencia vs. Barcelona, Sevilla vs. Atltico, Real Madrid vs. Athletic. In the mid
dle of it all, Celta de Vigo versus Deportivo de La Coruna, plus even an intrigu
ing clash in Guipzcoa, where Alaves and Real Sociedad play. It's some weekend in
Spain, that's for sure.
Last time out, those first six sides scored two, six, three, seven, six and thre
e goals respectively and all of them won, but this is different; something has t
o give. Somehow, they will emerge from Sunday as changed teams with shifting exp
ectations; unless they all draw, the table will reflect that too. There's got to
be a break of some sort. Even beyond results, there has to be: this is a week t
o condition what comes next and to define it too. "It's going to be a test of wh
ere we really are: this weekend will show us," Sevilla striker Luciano Vietto sa
id, pretty much speaking for them all.
Atltico, in first place, go to third-place Sevilla. Barcelona, in fourth, go to M
estalla. And Real Madrid, who are level with Atltico on points in second, face si
xth-placed Athletic at the Bernabu: this is becoming the most repeated league gam
e of all between two of only three sides to have spent their entire history in p
rimera.
Valencia vs. Barcelona, Saturday
Barcelona look like they're back on track in Spain and Europe respectively but V
alencia will be no pushover.
If Valencia looked like they don't entirely fit this "Super Saturday and Super S
unday" stuff, they still do. Champions in 2002 and 2004, they were 12th last sea
son but top six in six of the previous seven years. Last weekend, they defeated
Sporting Gijn to pull themselves out of the relegation zone and afterwards the ma
nager, taking charge for his first game, was asked if they could claim a Champio
ns League place. If Cesare Prandelli didn't know they were demanding, he does no
w.
"I came for the challenge," he said, which is probably a good job. The first may
well be to keep a clean sheet -- the last time Valencia did that was in April.
That was the last time Barcelona failed to score too. But this won't be easy, Ba
rcelona know.
Valencia started last season with Nuno in charge; he never got to face Barcelona
but others did: three different managers took charge against Luis Enrique's sid
e. Well, four. There was a 7-0 defeat in the Copa del Rey that marked Gary Nevil
le's spell at the club but in the league, it finished 1-1 at Mestalla under the
aptly named Salvador "Saviour" Voro, the greatest manager they have ever had but
wishe