Real Madrid appear to have a great chance of cutting the five-point gap to La Liga leaders Barcelona this weekend.
But they will need a helping hand from bitter rivals Atletico Madrid to do that.
Madrid, who have Cristiano Ronaldo available again after suspension, are overwhelming favourites to beat bottom club Xerez on Saturday night, while 24 hours later Barca face what has traditionally been a tough fixture for them at Atletico.
The Catalan giants have lost in three of their last four league trips to the Vicente Calderon and have recorded only one victory in seven seasons since the Rojiblancos were promoted back to the top flight.
However, that one win was a 6-0 mauling in 2007, while Barca also claimed a 3-1 away victory over Atletico during last season's successful Copa del Rey campaign.
More worrying for Pep Guardiola than his club's mixed success at Atletico, though, is the defensive crisis he is currently facing.
Eric Abidal, Gerard Pique, Rafael Marquez, Dani Alves, Dmytro Chygrynskiy and midfielder Yaya Toure - who has filled in at the back - are all unavailable through either injury or suspension, leaving the coach with just three first-team defenders available in Carles Puyol, Gabriel Milito and Maxwell.
For a side that had kept five successive clean sheets, prior to conceding a stoppage-time penalty in last weekend's 2-1 win over Getafe, to have most of their first-choice defence sidelined is a huge blow, and those problems offer a potential boost to title challengers Real Madrid.
Young Barca winger Jeffren preferred to look on the positive side though, saying: "We have a lot of players out and to win would be a blow for the other teams who are expecting us to slip up."
Madrid's players have admitted this week they will be cheering on Atletico on Sunday, but defender Marcelo, who like Jeffren recently penned a new contract with his club, knows they need to fulfil their own obligations first.
"We aren't looking at Barca. We have to do our jobs, which is win every game and then see what happens with them. But we aren't looking at their absentees or how they go into the game," the Brazilian said.
Aside from Madrid's first-ever trip to a Xerez side that are nine points adrift of safety at the foot of the table, there are two other games on Saturday with third-placed Valencia going to Sporting Gijon and Villarreal hosting Athletic Bilbao.
Villarreal were unfortunate to lose 1-0 at Real Mallorca last weekend in what was Juan Carlos Garrido's first match in charge of the Yellow Submarine, but that defeat left them 11 points behind fourth-placed Mallorca and the Champions League places.
Villarreal defender Diego Godin, whose side meet Madrid next week, said: "All the games are now 'finals' and we cannot allow any more points to escape."
On Sunday, stuttering Sevilla host Osasuna having enjoyed bittersweet success in midweek.
They were outplayed by Getafe in the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final and suffered their eighth defeat in their last 13 fixtures, but still made it through to the final 2-1 on aggregate.
Getafe, meanwhile, will hope for a similar performance and a happier ending when they meet Almeria this weekend.
Also, Deportivo La Coruna in sixth go to Espanyol, Real Valladolid host Real Zaragoza and Racing Santander - who will try to overturn a 4-0 deficit in their cup semi-final second leg against Atletico this evening - face Malaga.
The 22nd round of Primera Division fixtures will also feature a Monday night match, which will see Mallorca travel to second-bottom Tenerife in a battle of the island sides.
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