Don't imagine that it's merely qualification for the Champions League knockout https://www.w88thais.com/w88-entrance-latest-updates-for-mobile-pc/ rounds at stake for Spain's leading clubs this week, when Real Madrid host Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid travel to Juventus, Barcelona face Borussia Dortmund at Camp Nou and Chelsea go seeking revenge in Valencia. The next 48 hours are, in fact, a huge referendum on the health -- and wealth -- of Spanish football.

This week's fixtures mirror Matchday 1, when La Liga's four clubs managed to score a measly three goals, win once and accumulate five out of a possible 12 points. Although the standings in Groups A, D, F and H aren't sufficiently critical to run around screaming "the end is nigh," nor is the patient robustly healthy, gobbling down his porridge and bothering the nurses for a release date.



Of the four, only Barcelona lead their group. But Ernesto Valverde's side have the second-lowest points total, the lowest goal difference of any group leader and in terms of goal totals -- normally the calling card of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez & Co. -- Barca trail everyone except RB Leipzig by between five and 11 goals. It might not be pitiful, but it isn't great -- and it marks a decline ww88 .

Madrid should go through Group A, but they might already be consigned to second place, meaning the knockout tie -- against a group winner -- will be home first and then the decisive match away. That isn't an outright disaster, but it is to be avoided, in case the draw is to an intimidating, rarely breached citadel -- such as Anfield, for example.

Atleti are in Turin this week to face perennial Italian champions Juve. This is the Bianconeri team that led 2-0 at the Wanda Metropolitano in September before the hosts staged a monumental comeback, including a last-minute equaliser. Regardless of whether Cristiano Ronaldo is fit, plays or is in bristling form, this remains the team that tore Diego Simeone's side to shreds last year, eliminating them from the competition in the process.

If Juve were to repeat that pummelling of eight months ago (3-0) and if Lokomotiv were to beat Bayer Leverkusen in Moscow, Atleti would face an all-or-nothing final group match against the Russians on Matchday 6. OK, it would be in the Spanish capital with the head-to-head in their favour, but -- as with Madrid -- it's a situation that would be better avoided and would see them through only as runners-up, and thus at greater risk when the knockout-round draw comes around.

Home first and then, potentially, Manchester City or Bayern Munich away in the return leg. Obviously, those are the sorts of threats to be avoided if at all possible. The danger is a tie in which -- after being bullied out of the competition in March (for the second successive year) away to a Liverpool, a Bayern or a City -- even your most supportive fans, media and club directors will moan: "Well, you shouldn't have been floundering about in second place by the end of the group w88 line !"

Valencia are joker in the pack: tied on seven points with Ajax and Chelsea, third because of goals scored and goal difference, but with the head-to-head advantage over Frank Lampard's men thanks to that surprising 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge. If Los Che lose to Chelsea, especially by more than one goal, then the advantage will disappear and, more than likely, any chance of group victory will, too.

In fact, with Valencia traveling to Ajax on the last day, having already lost heavily to the Eredivisie champions at Mestalla, tripping up to Chelsea this week could be pretty disastrous for Albert Celades' team. It could be a huge step toward elimination and merely a place in the Europa League at a time when owner Peter Lim and his board desperately need the vast riches that knockout Champions League football bring in order to service their debt and retain their star players.