After a near perfect start as Atletico Madrid coach, Diego Simeone will get his toughest test with a visit from Valencia on Sunday in the Spanish league.
On Saturday, Spanish leader Real Madrid will look to avoid emulating Barcelona by slipping up at Getafe.
Atletico is unbeaten in four matches since Simeone's arrival, winning three straight to move up the standings in sight of the Champions League places. A victory on Sunday would put it within four points of third-place Valencia.
Atletico's players have bought into Simeone's system of placing emphasis on intense defensive pressure and a dangerous counterattack led by striker Radamel Falcao, who has five goals in Simeone's four games. Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has been outstanding when tested, which - surprisingly - hasn't been very often.
''When the defense allows a lot of goals the problem isn't about the defense, it's about the team,'' said Simeone, a former Atletico captain who was a member of the club's last league-winning team in 1996. ''The best thing that has happened since our arrival is that we've had to make changes and all the players have responded.''
The former Argentina international recalled midfielder Fran Merida from his loan at Braga ahead of the match at the Vicente Calderon Stadium.
Valencia will be hungry for victory after two straight draws, including a 1-1 score in the Copa del Rey semifinals against Barcelona on Wednesday.
Barcelona again looked irregular in that match as Lionel Messi had a penalty saved and failed to score despite six shots in the absence of injured players Andres Iniesta, David Villa and Pedro Rodriguez. Xavi Hernandez was rested with Saturday's league match against Real Sociedad in mind.
Barcelona trails Spanish leader Real Madrid by seven points in the standings, so a match at the Camp Nou is welcome after looking offbeat from its normally impressive self.
The Spanish champions have been mired in talk over referees decisions this week. Barcelona President Sandro Rosell said the club was not being fairly treated on Tuesday, and a day later goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto escaped a red card at Valencia despite clearly handling outside the area.
''That was the best game we've played (in Valencia) since I've been coach,'' said Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola, whose rhetoric has increasingly been motivational during this rough patch.
Madrid has been spectacular when discounting its last three games against Barcelona, having won all 24 of its last games apart from the Catalans. But midfielder Xabi Alonso is doubtful for Saturday's match, while fullback Marcelo is also an injury worry.
''Coach (Jose Mourinho) is the first to remind us that seven points is nothing,'' Madrid forward Jose Callejon said. ''Getafe is a dangerous rival. It's going to be difficult to win this game, but we just have to remember to play our own way.''
Turkey midfielder Nuri Sahin appears no closer to a regular return as the former Borussia Dortmund player has featured very little - he has yet to make an appearance in 2012 - after arriving last year with a knee injury.
While Sahin struggles, Kaka continues to look more like the player he was at AC Milan when he won the Ballon d'Or, with the Brazil international's partnership with Mesut Oezil providing Madrid with a dangerously creative pair of playmakers.
Athletic Bilbao and Espanyol meet on Saturday in a matchup of teams looking to secure a Champions League place for next season.
Espanyol is unbeaten in five games and is tied for fourth - the final qualifying spot - with struggling Levante, which hosts Racing Santander on Saturday. Bilbao, which trails Espanyol by two points, has won six of seven in all competitions, with striker Fernando Llorente scoring eight goals in that stretch.
Also, it's: Mallorca vs. Real Betis; Sporting Gijon vs. Osasuna; Sevilla vs. Villarreal; Zaragoza vs. Rayo Vallecano; and Granada vs. Malaga.
