Madrid, Feb 19 (NationPress) A new leader has emerged in La Liga as Real Madrid surpassed FC Barcelona last weekend during the 25th round of matches. However, Alvaro Arbeloa's team faces a challenging away game on Saturday against Osasuna at the daunting El Sadar stadium.

Real Madrid heads into this match following a 1-0 victory over Benfica in the Champions League on Tuesday, and Arbeloa is expected to rotate his squad against an Osasuna side that has secured three wins and two draws in their last five outings.

All eyes will be on Osasuna's forward Victor Munoz, who has been a standout performer since his transfer from Real Madrid's B-team last summer, while veteran striker Ante Budimir has netted an impressive 11 goals in La Liga this season.

Barcelona will host Levante on Sunday, and coach Hansi Flick is keen for his team to bolster their defense after suffering a heavy defeat against Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey last week and a 2-1 loss to Girona, where their defense was frequently breached.

The absence of midweek fixtures should assist Barcelona in recuperating, though both Marcus Rashford and Pedri are uncertain for the match against a Levante side that appears increasingly likely to face relegation, according to reports from Xinhua.

Levante recently fell 1-0 to Villarreal in a match that was postponed earlier in the year due to adverse weather conditions, leaving them seven points adrift of safety after three consecutive losses.

Villarreal's victory has propelled them to third place in the table, three points ahead of Atletico Madrid, who will prepare for a derby at home against Valencia. Valencia arrives at the Estadio de la Ceramica just two points above the relegation zone following their recent win against Levante.

Valencia's defense is hindered by the suspension of Jose Copete, while injuries have sidelined Arnaut Danjuma, Diego Lopez, and Eray Comert.

Atletico Madrid will host an Espanyol side that has not tasted victory since 2026, but Atletico may need to rest key players after a 3-3 draw against Club Brugge in the Champions League play-off on Wednesday, necessitating considerable effort in the return leg next week.

Athletic Club and Elche will kick off the round of matches on Friday, with Athletic seeking a third consecutive victory to alleviate their relegation concerns. Dani Vivian is back from injury for the home side, although Mikel Jauregizar and Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta join a lengthy list of absentees that includes Spain international Nico Williams.

Real Betis has an opportunity to narrow the gap on fourth-placed Atletico Madrid with a home fixture against Rayo Vallecano, despite being without Cucho Hernandez and Giovani Lo Celso.

Sevilla's coach Matias Almeyda begins a seven-match ban as his team visits Getafe, desperately in need of points in the relegation battle, while Mallorca will face Celta Vigo as they find themselves in the bottom three.

Celta's upcoming Europa League match in Greece on Thursday may disrupt their preparations as they strive to break a streak of four La Liga matches without a win.

Mallorca's primary danger man is Vedat Muriqi, who has scored 16 goals this season, accounting for more than half of Mallorca's total of 29 goals this campaign.

The matchday concludes on Monday with Alaves hosting Girona, who come into the match buoyed by their recent victory against Barcelona.