Ramos insists Real still united

Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos insists the players are “unified and calm” ahead of Saturday’s trip to Huelva to face Recreativo in La Liga.

Madrid has come under increasing pressure in the league after a run of poor results has seen its lead at the top reduced from nine points in January to just two going into this weekend’s games.

But Ramos claims the players are focused and ready to turn results around.

“I think it is clear that we’ve recently had a weak streak,” he said “We are truly united and we must stay calm and keep our feet on the ground.

“The league is far from being over and we are still in the Champions League. We depend on ourselves.”

Bernd Schuster’s men have lost all three of their league games in Andalucia this year, but will hope to get back to winning ways against a side fourth from bottom despite being without injured players Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Guti.

Also Saturday, Barcelona will be hoping to capitalize on any slip up from Real and could take the top spot if it wins in Madrid against Atletico, a side it beat 6-0 in this fixture last season.

Barca is unbeaten in all competitions since a 1-0 reverse at home to Real on December 23, and will look to continue its good run against an Atletico side in crisis after losing its last two league games and crashing out of the UEFA Cup to Bolton.

Barca’s Copa del Rey rival Valencia will stay in Barcelona to face Espanyol on Saturday, after thick fog prevented a return home.

Valencia will be hoping for a better result than it had the last time in played in the city, when a last minute Xavi goal denied it a famous win over Barca.

In Espanyol, Valencia faces a side with one win in its last eight league games, losing the other seven.

The impressive first-half season form which put Espanyol among the Champions League places has all but disappeared, and Valencia could move within a point of it with a win.

The last game on Saturday sees relegation struggler Deportivo La Coruna host Sevilla as the Andalucians push for a Champions League spot.

A win for Sevilla in Galicia could see Manolo Jimenez’s side leap-frog Atletico in fourth.

On Sunday, Almeria also continues its bid for a Champions League berth against a struggling Athletic Bilbao side.

Last week Almeria lost for the first time in eight league outings and hopes to get back to winning ways against an Athletic side hovering two points above the relegation zone.

The side that beat Almeria last week, Racing Santander, moved up to seventh with the win.

It too could go fourth with a win over eleventh-placed Valladolid.

At the bottom of the table 16th-placed Real Betis will want to build on its win over Madrid last week by beating second-bottom Levante, while Zaragoza - level with Betis on 29 points - travels to rock-bottom Levante.

In mid-table, 10th-placed Getafe hosts 12th-placed Mallorca, while the last game on Sunday sees third-placed Villarreal take on Osasuna.