Primera Liga preview

Madrid sit seven points clear at the top of the table after bouncing back from their humbling at the hands of rivals Barca with six successive league wins, but their response has been overshadowed by speculation over Jose Mourinho's happiness at the capital club.

Barca have slipped up twice since departing for the Club World Championship on the back of their Bernabeu triumph, with talk of boss Pep Guardiola possibly leaving in the summer lingering with his contract only running until the end of the season.

The Catalans will be desperate not to lose further ground when they make the trip to Osasuna on Saturday evening, with Real Madrid hosting the season's fading force Levante on Sunday.

Levante are clinging onto a Champions League qualification berth with little conviction as they look to end on a six-match winless run.

Lengthy odds

The contrasting recent fortunes culminate in Sky Bet offering a hefty 25/1 on Levante completing the double over Mourinho's men, having upset set them with a 1-0 win at the start of the season.

The queue to take fourth spot is a pretty compact one, with Espanyol fifth on level points with Levante, while there is only seven points separating them and 14th-placed Granada.

Espanyol should be able to inherit fourth spot when basement side Real Zaragoza visit, while sixth-placed Athletic Bilbao and Atletico Madrid, who sit behind on goal difference in seventh, face trips to respective relegation battlers Real Betis and Racing Santander.

Malaga will be looking to reignite their European prospects when Mallorca visit following a wretched run which has seen them win just once in eight league games.

Elsewhere, Rayo Vallecano entertain Getafe in a mid-table clash, third-placed Valencia host second-from-bottom Sporting Gijon and Grenada visit Villarreal, before Monday's clash sees Sevilla travel to Sociedad.