LFP: Betis hoping to stall Real Madrid's drive for the title

All eyes in Spain will be on Real Betis today to see if the southern club can defy their status as relegation candidates and stop Real Madrid all but wrapping up the title by Easter.

Real seven goals past Valladolid last weekend to march eight points clear of a jaded-looking Barcelona, who must wait a few more days before they can welcome back talismanic striker Samuel Eto'o from injury.

A week ago, questions were briefly being asked of Real after their limp showing at Almeria culminated in a third league defeat of the campaign, but the Valladolid canter proved an emphatic response by Bernd Schuster's men.

Barca's with Sevilla, Betis' city neighbors, was the Catalan club's sixth of the season and without African Cup of Nations star Eto'o during the past month they have lacked a killer touch.

The club said on Thursday the Cameroon hotshot may be fit for next week's Champions League match at Celtic despite suffering a thigh twinge in Sunday's Nations Cup final defeat to Egypt.

Barcelona have problems with Ronaldinho, who has struggled for form, while French striker Thierry Henry has likewise been out of sorts.

Henry on Thursday he was only following the orders of coach Frank Rijkaard in playing wide much of the time.

"The coach tells me to play on the flank and I do," said the former Arsenal star.

Weekend Zaragoza, 10th in the table, have every incentive to land the three points as a win would take them to the fringes of the European places.

If Real and Barca are already out on their own in the title race, Villarreal and Atletico Madrid will be out to pull up the trapdoor beneath them to hold onto the other two Champions League berths.

Villarreal, currently six points behind Barca but one ahead of Atletico, must get past sixth-placed Racing Santander today, while Atletico's task appears the easier one as they host struggling Athletic Bilbao.

Elsewhere, Espanyol could break into the top four if they beat seventh-placed Sevilla at home today, while, in other games, Valencia will bid to build on a win at Valladolid which ended a miserable league run of nine games without a victory.

That success was welcome relief for Dutch coach Ronald Koeman, who has only been in the job three months.