The La Liga title race hots up on Wednesday - and Barcelona could be knocked off top spot if their recent dismal form continues. Just one month ago, if you were to suggest anyone other than Barcelona as La Liga champions come May, your opinion would have been dismissed as foolish in the extreme.But Spains title race has become an enthralling one as Barca have crumbled and the men from the capital have closed the gap. La Liga table La Liga position Team Games played Goal difference Points 1st Barcelona 33 59 76 2nd Atletico Madrid 33 41 76 3rd Real Madrid 33 68 75 Valencias trip to the Nou Camp seemingly presented Luis Enriques side with the perfect platform to put their midweek Champions League exit behind them, but they slumped to a 2-1 home defeat on Sunday night - their third in a row - to leave them ahead of Atletico on their head-to-head record and just a point ahead of Real.As the three title chasers prepare for a midweek test - live on Sky - we look at how things could pan out with five games to go... Watch highlights of Barcelonas defeat to Valencia FormTwo goals to the good at Villarreal on March 20, Barca could do no wrong, but 45 minutes later, the seeds of doubt were planted.Luis Enriques men threw away a two-goal lead, and have crumbled at home and abroad ever since.Real Madrid capitalised on an indecisive Barca to secure a vital El Clasico win at the Nou Camp - ending the hosts 39-game unbeaten run. Gareth Bale scored the third goal in Real Madrids 5-1 win at Getafe Then, a fourth defeat in as many visits to Anoeta saw Real Sociedad inflict further damage to Barcas confidence, before a Champions League exit and the Valencia loss left us all dumbfounded.Since defeat in the Madrid derby in late February, Real have been imperious domestically. Seven wins in a row, scoring 27 goals in the process, has brought Zinedine Zidanes men right back into the hunt - with Madridistas right behind their team following a stunning Champions League comeback against Wolfsburg.Atletico have done what they do best and performed when it really matters. Diego Simeones men have won seven of the last eight and have a huge psychological advantage over Barca - having knocked them out of Europes premier competition. Remaining fixtures Barcelona Atletico Madrid Real Madrid Deportivo (a) - 13th Athletic Bilbao (a) - 5th Villarreal (h) - 4th Sporting Gijon (h) - 18th Malaga (h) - 8th Rayo Vallecano (a) - 16th Real Betis (a) - 14th Rayo Vallecano (h) - 16th Real Sociedad (a) - 10th Espanyol (h) - 15th Levante (a) - 19th Valencia (h) - 12th Granada (a) - 17th Celta Vigo (h) - 6th Deportivo (a) - 13th In reality, it is Barcelonas to lose with their remaining fixtures seemingly all more than winnable, on paper.The trip to Galicia to take on Deportivo on Wednesday, live on Sky Sports, represents Barcas highest-placed opponent in their remaining five matches - and they are currently 13th.Another potential stumbling block is the derby clash with Espanyol on May 8, but Real and Atletico have much more imposing games to come.Los Blancos face a real test of their metal against Villarreal on Wednesday, also live on Sky Sports, with trips to city neighbours Rayo Vallecano and Barca conquerors Sociedad to follow, sandwiching their Champions League semi-final commitments. Deportivo on the final day will be no pushovers either.Once Atletico have negotiated a tough trip to Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday, Malaga make the trip to the Vicente Calderon. Then they can concentrate on finding a way past the might of Bayern Munich, with fixtures against teams fighting at the wrong end of the league up next domestically.A final day clash with Celta Vigo will not be easy, but Simeones sides seem to find the reserves when it really matters, no matter who the opponent.Head-to-head ruleBarca have the advantage if they finish level on points with their title rivals when the season draws to a close.If Barcelona end up level with either Atletico or Real at the end of the La Liga season, the Catalan club will prevail on the head-to-head rule. Barcas win at Bernabeu could prove vital Unlike the Premier League, which is settled on goal difference, La Ligas tie breakers are decided by a straight aggregate scoreline between the two sides.Despite beating Barcelona 2-1 in El Clasico earlier this month, Reals 4-0 defeat earlier in the season has them at a disadvantage, while Atletico lost both their league games against Barcelona earlier in the season 2-1. If Atletico and Real Madrid were to finish level on points, Atletico would prevail having beaten their city rivals at the Bernabeu earlier this year, following a 1-1 draw at the Vicente Calderon last autumn. Watch Fernando Torres score in Atleticos 3-0 win against Granada ConclusionDespite doing their best to make things interesting on the Iberian Peninsula, Barcelona should still secure their sixth La Liga title in eight seasons, with their fixtures by far the most favourable.Both Madrid sides have Champions League commitments to contend with, and much more difficult games to come.However, Barca are very much a team in disarray. Even with their attacking triumvirate of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar fit they looked very flat in attack against Valencia - highly unusual for them. Lionel Messi should be celebrating another title in May Atletico will go about things the way they normally do, and with Simeone at the helm they wont be allowed to relent for a second.And, after appearing to be down and out, with the pressure mounting on rookie boss Zidanes shoulders, Real have completely turned things around, and with Cristiano Ronaldo firing on all cylinders, whod bet against them completing a stunning fightback. All to play for!Who do you think has the toughest run-in? Let us know using the message boards or by tweeting @SkyFootball Also See: Barca slip to shock defeat As it happened Table as it stands Enrique: Were still in control Philippe Coutinho Liverpool Jersey . R.J. Umberger scored twice to lead the Blue Jackets to a franchise-record for consecutive wins with a 5-3 victory Tuesday night over the Los Angeles Kings. Mario Balotelli Liverpool Jersey . Tests earlier this week revealed a Grade 2 left hamstring strain for Sabathia, who was hurt in last Fridays start against San Francisco. Its an injury that will require about eight weeks to heal. He finished a disappointing campaign just 14-13 with a career-worst 4. http://www.soccerliverpoolproshop.com/c-11-daniel-sturridge-liverpool-fc-jersey.aspx . -- If this was Aaron Gordons final home game at Arizona, and it almost certainly was, then he went out in style. Steven Gerrard Jersey . Hargreaves began his career in 2008 with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and has played with the Edmonton Eskimos and last season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Danny Ings Liverpool Jersey . He said Tuesday thats a big reason why he is now the new coach of the Tennessee Titans. Whisenhunt said he hit it off quickly with Ruston Webster when interviewing for the job Friday night. IRVINE, Calif. -- Pharoh Cooper, solidified as the No. 3 receiver, and E.J. Gaines, basically locked in as the No. 2 cornerback, suffered injuries in the?Los Angeles Rams 17-9 loss to the Denver Broncos on Saturday that could keep them out for the start of the regular season.?Cooper injured a shoulder on an acrobatic catch and will be out for a few weeks, Rams coach Jeff Fisher said during Sundays availability. Gaines, who missed all of last season with a foot injury, suffered a quad strain, and Fisher said he may miss some time.Fisher said Cooper will probably miss the Sept. 12 regular-season opener, but wouldnt specify with Gaines, who was previously set back with a hamstring injury.Starting left tackle Greg Robinson and cornerback Troy Hill, an outside candidate to crack the final 53-man roster, went through the leagues concussion protocol in Denver late Saturday night. Both are expected to miss the final preseason game in?Minnesota?on Thursday, but Fisher said theyre both?way ahead of schedule and are not having any residual effects.Fisher would not comment on rookie quarterback Jared Goff having a postgame X-ray that revealed a bruised tailbone, the result of a vicious hit by Broncos linebacker Vontarrius Dora. But Fisher said Goff participated in a walk-through on Sunday, as did receiver Bradley Marquez, who injured his right ankle on a screen pass during the Aug. 20 game against the Kansas City Chiefs.Cooper injured his shoulder while making a play on Goffs pass in Saturdays second quarter, a play that saw Cooper run across the middle, extend his left arm, tip the ball in the air and secure a 19-yard catch on third down. A multidimensional receiver who can also help out of the backfield and in punt coverage, Cooper is expected to play a major role in the Rams offense this season.I dont know how long [Cooper will be out],, but it looks like hell probably miss the opener, Fisher said.dddddddddddd And well just see how quickly he can come back from that.Gaines played in his first preseason game on Aug. 20 and ran with the first-team defense Saturday.The 24-year-old had a standout rookie season in 2014 and is expected to start opposite primary corner Trumaine Johnson in 2016. But Gaines has struggled to stay on the field during training camp, first with an ailment to his hamstring and now another one to his quad. It could all stem from a long recovery from foot surgery.Im hoping this is the last thing that comes up, Fisher said of Gaines. He was extremely pivotal in his rookie year as a starter for us.The recent ailments may force Fisher to carry an extra receiver or cornerback for the Sept. 12 opener against the San Francisco 49ers, a game that will be part of ESPNs Monday Night Football coverage. Teams must trim their rosters to 75 players by 4 p.m. PT on Tuesday and 53 players by 4 p.m. PT on Saturday.Offensive lineman Rob Havenstein, who had been dealing with a foot injury, was recently taken off the physically unable to perform list and is expected to practice with the team over the next couple of days. Rookie receiver Nelson Spruce, who sprained his knee during an impressive performance against the Dallas Cowboys on Aug. 13, has been running and may be close to practicing with the team.Despite his absence, Spruce still seemingly has a solid chance to crack the final roster.Theres a lot to still consider, Fisher said. 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