Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi could be facing off again in South Africa.

The only thing harder than getting to the peak of a sport is staying there. Just ask Dwayne Wade, Andy Roddick, or Ronaldinho. Or, for that matter, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Two seasons ago, Ronaldo was the undisputed best player in the world. He won the Premier League and Champions League double with Manchester United and banked an amazing 42 goals in the process, leaving every other striker in his dust. He won pretty much every single individual award a player could win, both domestically and internationally, and drew constant comparisons with one of the best players to ever play for Manchester United (or any other team for that matter), George Best.

But about twelve months ago, or on May 27th to be exact, things started to change. Manchester United had wrapped up their third straight Premier League crown and were gunning for their second straight Champions League title, a feat no team had accomplished since AC Milan did it in 1989 and 1990 back in the old European Cup days. In the way was Barcelona, the team they had knocked out in the semifinals on their way to glory the season before. This was more than just United vs. Barca, though. It was billed as the battle between the two best players on the planet: Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi.

We all know what happened that day. And as soon as the final whistle went, crowning Barcelona the new kings of Europe, the tides turned. Messi took the throne at the top of world football, while Ronaldo had to take the backseat.

This season, the grass is still greener on Messi’s side of the fence. He’s coming off of his best individual season ever, in which he scored a mind-blowing 47 goals in all competitions and bagged his second straight La Liga title. In the process he has just about collected every individual accolade available and drawn further comparisons to one of the all-time greats, Diego Maradona (sound familiar?).

Meanwhile, Ronaldo probably had a tougher time than he thought he would during his debut season as a Galactico. Madrid ended up with no silverware to show for their €250 million investment last summer, and their new number 9 had to spend the season for the most part in Messi’s shadow.

In actuality, both players have had similarly amazing seasons, at least from an individual standpoint. Messi knocked in 47 goals in 52 appearances for Barcelona, while Ronaldo managed 33 goals in 35 appearances for Real Madrid. Ronaldo had an injury-ridden campaign, which makes the numbers even more impressive, let alone the fact that he was doing it in his first season in a league he has never played in before. Technically, he actually has a better goal-to-appearance ratio than Messi, with .94 goals per match compared to Messi’s .90.

But Messi still has the edge. The debate over which one has more talent will go on forever, but there’s no question as to which one landed more silverware this season. And even though Messi plays on the better team, as the La Liga table will show you, in this sport, the best player in the world is usually on the team that ends up taking home trophies.

In a World Cup year, though, everything is thrown out the window. This is the stage where legends are born. This is the platform to attain football immortality, to join the likes of Pele, Maradona, Beckenbauer, Zidane, and Luis Ronaldo as one of the best of the best. The World Cup can elevate players into superstardom like no other tournament in no other sport in the world. Everyone – not just football fans – everyone will be watching.

So for Ronaldo, this is the time to shine. This is the time to step up and take back the title of “World’s Best”. This is the time to remind everyone exactly why Real Madrid shelled out a world-record £80 million for him.

For Messi, this is the time to erase any doubts that started coming out after Barcelona got knocked out of the Champions League by Inter Milan. This is the time to firmly reinforce his dominance in world football. Let’s not forget that before Mourinho’s Camp Nou sprinkler celebration, Messi was being hailed in many circles as not only the best in the world, but the best ever.

Unfortunately for the pair of them, if their World Cup qualifying record over the last two years is anything to go by, they’re in for a rough tournament. Messi managed just four goals in eighteen starts for Argentina. Ronaldo’s record is even worse: seven starts, zero goals. Yeah: 0. Zero goals for somebody who makes scoring look insanely easy most of the time. And he couldn’t manage a goal on Monday against Cape Verde Islands in Portugal’s first World Cup warm-up either. It’s like seeing Kobe Bryant put up 6 points a game in the Olympics or Roger Federer get bageled in the Davis Cup – it just defies all sense and logic.

(As a side note, I blame their managers Diego Maradona and Carlos Quieroz just as much, if not moreso, for their recent lack of form at international level. And teams as talented as Portugal and Argentina should never be barely scraping through qualification).

So both Messi and Ronaldo have serious expectations to live up to and seriously out-of-form teams to carry. Imagine an entire country counting on you to win the biggest trophy in worldwide sports. To say it’s intense would be a crazy understatement. And if they fail, they’ll have to put up with four years of “he’s great for his club, but he couldn’t step up for his country”.

The title of “Best of His Generation” won’t be won in one season or one tournament. If the last two years are any indication, Ronaldo and Messi will be duking it out for football supremacy for some time to come. But in South Africa, eternal hero-status is up for grabs. We’ll just have to wait and see who takes it.

Lionel Messi (left) and David Villa(right) will both be on display at the Nou Camp next season.

Europe has seen its first major transfer take place, as FC Barcelona has announced today the official signing of David Villa from Valencia.

Reports say the Spanish international striker, who scored 21 league goals this season, cost the two-time defending La Liga champions 40 million euros.

Villa joins a crowded forward line at Camp Nou, one that already features Lionel Messi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Pedro, Bojan Krkic and Thierry Henry. Henry is already reported to have struck a deal to join the New York Red Bulls of MLS.

Speculation for weeks has had Ibrahimovic heading out the door after just one season in Barcelona. The club’s technical director, Txiki Begiristain, told the team’s web site today that is not the case.

“Ibra’s not for sale,” he said. “Bojan is definitely staying.”

That is subject to change, as the club is holding its presidential election June 13 to replace Joan Laporta, who has reached his term limit after seven years at the helm.

Villa, 28, has been one of the most talked about potential transfers for a couple seasons, as Valencia’s debt has reportedly risen to over 500 million euros. Club president Manuel Llorente told Spanish sports daily Marca today that the sale was “necessary” for the team.

The player alluded to that in an open letter to fans on Valencia’s web site today.

“The time to say goodbye has arrived and, after five wonderful years with the club, I take many feelings away and leave behind many friends – knowing that this is what is good for the team,” Villa wrote.

Villa will be presented as a Barcelona player tomorrow.

Barcelona may not be done with its big-name signings, as rumors continue to persist that Cesc Fabregas will be next, with another significant sum of cash – and possibly midfielder Yaya Toure – heading to North London.

Barcelona won the 20th league title in its history with a record 99 points, the last three coming in Sunday’s 4-0 home win over Valladolid. Lionel Messi scored his 33rd and 34th league goals, and 46th and 47th overall – both tying club records set by Ronaldo in 1996-97.

The result sent Valladolid back to the Segunda, where it will be joined on its way down by Tenerife and Xerez. The boys from Castile and Leon would still be up had it not been for an unforeseen draw in Malaga, where an early goal from Duda was enough for the locals to get a 1-1 result against a Real Madrid side that needed a win (and a result from Valladolid) to win the title.

Instead, it was the Andalucians celebrating on their pitch, while Real sauntered off with the greatest second-place finish (96 points, 102 goals scored) in European football history.

The weekend’s biggest drama came Saturday, as Mallorca topped Espanyol 2-0 and stayed on the field to watch the conclusion of Almeria-Sevilla on the big screen. With the scored tied 2-2 deep in injury time, the Mallorca players stood on the pitch poised to celebrate a miraculous qualification for the Champions League… only for 19-year old cantera product Rodri, making his second appearance of the year, to score on an overhead kick to send Sevilla to fourth place and tears to the pitch from Mallorca players.

So, to recap the important stuff:

Champion: Barcelona
Champions League (automatic): Real Madrid, Valencia
Champions League (qualifying): Sevilla
Europa League: Mallorca, Getafe, Atletico de Madrid (as holders)
Relegated: Valladolid, Tenerife, Xerez

So, where do we go from here? Let’s start with the biggest questions:

What do Barcelona and Real Madrid do now?
As always, plenty of transfer rumors surround the big two.

David Villa is a lock to join Barcelona. Well, he was a lock to join Madrid last summer. Cesc Fabregas will finally head back to Catalunya. Well, he was supposed to do that two years ago, and last summer, and… Real want him, too. Madrid president Florentino Perez, meanwhile, will also go after David Silva… and Fernando Torres, and Wayne Rooney, and Jesus Navas, and Pele, and LeBron James, and…

And what will happen on the sidelines? One has to figure that if Jose Mourinho wants the job at the Bernabeu, he will get it. It would be unfair to Manuel Pellegrini, who took an essentially brand new team and got it to play some devastating football. But he will be judged on four games: the two against Barcelona, the return leg against Lyon in the Champions League round of 16, and the 4-0 loss to Alcorcon in the Copa del Rey.

While he’s signed for next year, Pep Guardiola is no lock to return to the Barcelona bench, depending on what happens with the June 13 presidential election. Although, the election may be rendered moot if Barcelona does in fact get Villa and/or Fabregas.

What does everyone else do now?
For the purpose of brevity, we’ll limit “everyone else” to teams that could, in theory, challenge the duopoly: Valencia, Sevilla, Villarreal, Atletico (OK, that’s stretching it).

Unai Emery did one of the better managing jobs in Spain this year, turning around the negative culture that had been surrounding Valencia the last few years and getting them into third place (not to mention the quarterfinals of the Europa League, from which it should have advanced had it not been for a woeful no-penalty decision in the closing minutes of the second leg at Atletico). He’ll have to do even better next year, with Villa, Silva and perhaps even Juan Mata almost certain to be sold.

Sevilla will be hoping Luis Fabiano shakes off his “injuries” to have a big World Cup for Brazil and drive up the asking price for his transfer. This may also be the time to sell high on winger Jesus Navas, given that Diego Capel and Diego Perotti are still on the books. If those funds can be allocated toward the team’s biggest needs – another forward, a playmaking central midfielder and another defender or two to alleviate the pressure off keeper Andres Palop – Sevilla may be able to make the noise it was expected to this season after a tremendous start.

Villarreal rebounded from an awful beginning to challenge for the European places, but look likely to be waving goodbye this summer to striker Giuseppe Rossi, who is said to desire a move to Italy. The Yellow Submarine has spent uncharacteristically big (by its standards, anyway) on Jozy Altidore and Nilmar the last two summers, and there are questions as to whether it can make that kind of splash again. Some midfield help to support the likes of aging Marcos Senna and injury-prone Santi Cazorla is needed.

Atletico will likely sell Sergio Aguero this summer (see the trend here?) and, with millions upon millions in debt still to be paid off, doesn’t figure to have the ability to plug the holes. A new back four would be a good place to start.

In short, expect to see another “two-league” Liga next year: the one for Barcelona and Madrid, and the one for everybody else.

Who could be in trouble for the drop next season?
There’s the obvious candidates: the three promoted teams (none of whom have been determined, as of yet), Malaga and Racing Santander. It’s also hard to see the likes of Almeria, Sporting Gijon and Osasuna getting much better.

If someone from this year’s top half is going to join them, it would probably be Mallorca. The islanders were a great story this year, with Gregorio Manzano taking a team of few recognizable names playing in front of a half-empty stadium to within seconds of a top-four finish. But Manzano is likely to leave (to Sevilla?) and so are at least a few of the club’s top players, defender Nunes (who’s 33), midfielder Gonzalo Castro and midfielder Borja Valero (on loan from West Brom) among them. And even if Mallorca wanted to sell leading scorer Aritz Aduriz (12 goals), could they? They haven’t even paid the full fee it took to get him from Athletic Bilbao two years ago.

Such are the economics of the times in La Liga.

Will the league’s organizers get their act together?
The answer is obviously “no,” but consider:

- The league started on the weekend of August 29 and 30, which was immediately followed by a World Cup qualifier weekend. Couldn’t they have started a little earlier to at least get into the flow of the season before it was disrupted?

- At the other end, there are Segunda matches scheduled for June 20. That’s almost two weeks into the World Cup. Real Betis – a team currently three points out of a promotion spot with five matches to play – will soon be seeing its best player, midfielder Achille Emana, leave for the Cameroon national team camp. It should be noted that teams in England’s Championship – which wraps up with this weekend’s playoff between Cardiff and Blackpool – play 46 games (49 if you’re the teams playing this weekend). In the Segunda, you play 42.

- The day and time for the Copa del Rey final wasn’t set until a month before the actual game, with haggling from both clubs (Sevilla and Atletico) on where it should be played. Spain doesn’t have a Wembley, sure, but how is a cup final not scheduled at least a year in advance?

- Alfonzo Perez Burrull is still employed as a first division referee.

Good or bad, it’s always interested in La Liga. Until next year…

The final table:
Barcelona – 99 points; Real Madrid – 96; Valencia – 71; Sevilla – 63; Mallorca – 62; Getafe – 58; Villarreal – 56; Athletic Bilbao – 54; Atletico de Madrid – 47; Deportivo la Coruna – 47; Espanyol – 44; Osasuna – 43; Almeria – 42; Real Zaragoza – 41; Sporting Gijon – 40; Racing Santander – 39; Malaga – 37; Valladolid – 36; Tenerife – 36; Xerez – 34.

With the managerial hot-seat at Liverpool possibly up for grabs this summer, many were speculating that Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill would make the move north to take it. However, Villa owner Randy Lerner quashed any rumors this week, insisting that O’Neill would be staying put.

“Martin will be back next year managing. It has already been settled,” he said.

O’Neill has reportedly been unhappy with the transfer policy at Villa Park, but Lerner was clear that funds would be made available to strengthen the squad this summer.

“I gave Martin the assurance that I also wanted to take the team forward. I say that carefully in the context of knowing that the summer brings a very dynamic environment of players coming and going so I’m careful not to simply say ‘here is a brand new amount of money, go and spend it’.”

O’Neill will look to build on another successful year at Villa, in which he took the team to sixth place in the league (attaining Europa League qualification in the process), the Carling Cup final, and the FA Cup semi-final. Champions League qualification was the ultimate goal of the campaign, and while the club fell short of that, there is a bright future ahead of them, with the young talent of Ashley Young, Gabriel Agbonlahor, and PFA Young Player of the Year James Milner in the squad.

If Rafa Benitez does indeed depart Liverpool this summer, though, the question still remains over who would replace him. O’Neill would have been a popular choice given his success at Celtic and Villa, but now he no longer seems like a realistic option.

Yaya Eyes England Move

Yaya Toure is “90% likely” to move on from Barcelona this summer, according to his agent Dimitri Seljuk, and Premier League clubs are reportedly lining up to land the midfielder.

Seljuk claimed that Toure is happy at Camp Nou, but is not satisfied with his limited role in the team this season. Arsenal and Manchester United have reportedly shown interest, and the London club looks the likelier to sign him, given Yaya’s older brother Kolo Toure spent seven years playing under Arsene Wenger.

“He is happy in Barcelona but I think most clubs in Europe are interested in the services of Yaya Toure,” Seljuk said. “In any case, Arsenal are interested in him and I think we can do something with the club of Arsene Wenger.”

Yaya’s physical presence on defense would be a huge boost for an Arsenal midfield that can struggle against more brute opposition (the studs in first, ask questions later-types). He actually had a trial with the Gunners in 2002, but his original club Olympiakos refused to lower their asking price for the midfielder, and Wenger decided to not to go through with the deal.

Manchester United on the other hand are reportedly looking to boost their holding midfield position after Michael Carrick had an under-par season and Owen Hargreaves continues in his quest for full fitness after undergoing double-knee surgery.

Ancelotti Looks To Build Chelsea Dominance

With the Premier League title down to the last day, it was all up to Chelsea: win and pick up the trophy at the end of 90 minutes, lose and let Manchester United in for their fourth straight crown.

Well, Chelsea didn’t blink, and with an 8-nil victory against Wigan, they gave the Stamford Bridge crowd their first title-party since the days of Jose Mourinho. And after enduring a thrilling title race, Carlo Ancelotti is looking to stick around for the long haul.

“I hope to stay here a long time and win a lot of titles,” he said during the celebration. “We have a very good squad, for next year and the years after.”

Chelsea’s chief executive Ron Gourlay told the BBC that funds will be made available to Ancelotti should he require them (as if anyone had any doubts about that…), but did say that a move for Fernando Torres has not yet been discussed. The Spanish striker is reportedly on the way out of Anfield after Liverpool failed to retain their Champions League status for next season, and Chelsea are rumored to be a possible destination. The Blues are also said to be closely tracking Atletico Madrid star Sergio Aguero and Manchester City midfielder Stephen Ireland.

This weekend Chelsea will be facing Portsmouth in the FA Cup final and looking to do the first league and FA Cup double in their history.

Many have argued that the league title was essentially decided this past Saturday, as Barcelona overcame the last major hurdle on its schedule with a 3-2 win at the Sanchez Pizjuan over Sevilla.

It was far more interesting than it had to be. Barca was up 3-0 and Sevilla down to 10 men after an hour, only for Frederic Kanoute and Luis Fabiano to score for the home side with 20 minutes still to play. Barcelona held on to win and maintain top spot in the table with 96 – yes, 96 – points.

That won’t be enough, however, as Real Madrid have 95 points after 5-1 home win over Athletic Bilbao. The Basques had a European spot to play for – not to mention a rooted hatred for all things Madrid – but were down to 10 men early on themselves. Athletic fought well and was tied with 20 minutes to play until a scrappy Gonzalo Higuain goal (the Argentine’s 27th of the league season, second most to compatriot Lionel Messi’s 32) in the 73rd minute caused all hell to break loose. Even Karim Benzema scored.

Of course, even if Athletic had 11 players for 90 minutes, it’s hard to imagine a result other than Real winning, such is the predictability of the league this year.

So we head to Matchday(s) 38 with Barcelona hosting Valladolid and Madrid traveling to Malaga. Both opponents of the title contenders need a result to guarantee safety (although both could still stay up even with a loss, but more on that in a moment), so neither game will be too easy.

Even though they’re at home, the Catalans face the tougher challenge. Valladolid has lost just once since Javier Clemente took the reins a little over a month ago and, if anyone in La Liga can engineer a 0-0 draw in Camp Nou, it’s that dour, miserable old Spaniard.

A key bit of news is the suspension of Xavi for this match after the Barca playmaker picked up his fifth yellow card of the season (all for dissent) against Sevilla. Not that a Toure-Busquets-Keita midfield is anything to sneeze at, to say nothing of the possibility of Messi dropping into midfield and Zlatan Ibrahimovic starting up front with Bojan Krkic and Pedro.

Regardless, Barca’s celebrations on the pitch in Sevilla Saturday were premature, and Pep Guardiola knows it.

Malaga will, as it has most of the season, punch and kick for 90 minutes, but it will likely be at air. Real has scored 101 league goals this season – Barcelona scored 105 last year – and whether it’s Cristiano Ronaldo, Higuain, Kaka or Guti, the goals will come down in Andalucia.

It’s up to Barcelona to match that on its home ground.

Here’s a quick look at the weekend’s fixture list:

Saturday, noon EST
Athletic Bilbao-Deportivo la Coruna

Not much to see here – both teams are ensconced in mid-table anonymity. It was good to see Deportivo left back Filipe Luis return Saturday from a dreadful ankle injury suffered January 23 in a home win over this same Athletic squad. The Brazilian was expected to be out several months, and it’s hardly a coincidence that Deportivo’s nosedive this season came when he got hurt (when you score 35 goals in 37 matches, it’s possible for a fullback to be your most influential player).

Saturday, 2 p.m. EST
Atletico de Madrid-Getafe
Zaragoza-Villarreal

Here’s where things start to get interesting, as Getafe and Villarreal – both with 55 points – fight it out for sixth place and a Europe League berth. Getafe is the favorite, as Atletico, with its Europa League final this Wednesday and a Copa del Rey final next Wednesday, will surely field its B-team. But that B-team squeaked out a 1-1 draw at Sporting Gijon Saturday, so anything remains possible.

Villarreal has arguably been the best team in Spain’s “other league” (the one that doesn’t include Barcelona and Real Madrid) since the end of February, but will be left to rue its pathetic start (three points in seven matches) to the season if it misses out on European football. The Manu- and Miku-inspired 3-0 loss to Getafe April 13 didn’t help, either.

Saturday, 4 p.m. EST
Almeria-Sevilla
Mallorca-Espanyol

It’s the battle for fourth between Sevilla (60 points) and Mallorca (59). Does either team really deserve to be in the Champions League? Sevilla looked like a potential league contender after beating Real Madrid in October but has been stunningly inconsistent since, with home draws to Malaga and Valladolid and a home loss to Racing Santander looking particularly daft. Mallorca has been tough at home (43 points in 18 matches) but awful away. Its three road wins are fewer than noted travelers Osasuna and Racing.

And in its biggest match of the year, Mallorca couldn’t muster a result Saturday at a Deportivo side that hadn’t won in 12 matches.

Neither opponent has anything to play for, although Espanyol will prove a tough nut to crack. Los periquitos likely won’t score, either, having done so just nine times in 18 road matches this season (and just 29 times in all matches, the lowest in La Liga by some distance).

It all adds up to Sevilla nicking a fourth place finish, but it’s been hard to count on them for much of anything lately.

Sunday, 1 p.m. EST
Barcelona-Valladolid
Malaga-Real Madrid
Valencia-Tenerife
Racing Santander-Sporting Gijon
Osasuna-Xerez

In addition to the title race, we have five matches that will determine who gets relegated.

Are you ready for this?

Valladolid is guaranteed safety with a win at Camp Nou. If Clemente manages them to a draw, they stay up as long as at least two of Malaga, Tenerife and Racing don’t win. And if Valladolid lose, there will be Primera football if Xerez fails to win and Racing plus one of the others (Tenerife and Malaga) also lose.

If you’re Racing, you’ve been crap for three months and don’t deserve to remain in the top division, but you will if you win and two out of Valladolid, Malaga and Tenerife don’t. If you draw, you need at least two of the three to lose. And if you can’t win at home against a Sporting team with nothing to play for, you still stay up if everyone else loses, too.

Malaga, beat Real Madrid, and you are in. Failing that – and you will fail – a tie is fine, as long as two out of Racing, Valladolid and Tenerife lose. A tie is also OK if Racing and Tenerife also draw, so long as Valladolid loses. And if Malaga loses, it needs everyone else to lose, too (although a Xerez draw will do the trick in that instance).

Tenerife returns for a second season in La Liga if it wins and either Malaga or Valladolid don’t. Should Tenerife take a point, two of Valladolid, Malaga and Racing need to lose. And if you lose, you’re down, end of.

For the great escape to end all great escapes to be complete, Xerez needs a win – nothing less will do. Oh, and Malaga and Valladolid have to lose, as well as either Racing or Tenerife.

Got all that? Good.

Vamos La Liga!

The table (through 37 matches):
Barcelona – 96 points; Real Madrid – 95; Valencia – 68; Sevilla – 60; Mallorca – 59; Getafe – 55; Villarreal – 55; Athletic Bilbao – 51; Atletico de Madrid – 47; Deportivo la Coruna – 47; Espanyol – 44; Almeria – 42; Osasuna – 42; Sporting Gijon – 40; Zaragoza – 40; Valladolid – 36; Racing – 36; Malaga – 36; Tenerife – 36; Xerez – 36.

Teams that have guaranteed survival in the top flight, but are out of the reckoning for a European berth, are simply playing out the string. Still, those teams can have a profound impact on title races (read: Chelsea 7-0 Stoke) or relegation battles.

It can make some games more intriguing and watchable than others. So, which games are worth your attention in La Liga this weekend? Below, we’ll rate each game on a scale of 1 to 10, with ‘1′ signifying it’s a good time to go for that jog you’ve been meaning to get in, and ‘10′ meaning appointment television.

Consider it our very own ‘giving-a-toss-ometer.’

Tenerife-Racing Santander (Saturday, noon EST)

Giving-a-toss-ometer reading: 7

This is the epitome of a relegation six-pointer. Tenerife is just two points from safety, while Racing – after a hideous run of form lately – has dropped to within four points of 18th.

And who is in 18th? Tenerife.

Of course, this is a relegation six-pointer because both teams are pretty dire, but they’ll be desperate for three points. And the possibility of seeing Racing’s Sergio Canales doing something magical – like his juggle-juggle-juggle-shot-goal against Villarreal last weekend – is worth your interest.

Malaga-Sporting Gijon (Saturday, noon)

Giving-a-toss-ometer reading: 2

Sporting, after seeming safe a month ago, have plummeted to within five points of the bottom three. Malaga is trying to kick, claw and scratch its way to survival.

This has the makings of one of the most dire matches in all of Europe this weekend. Stay away.

Valladolid-Getafe (Saturday, noon)

Giving-a-toss-ometer reading: 8

Just looking at the table alone, there’s plenty at stake here. Valladolid are scrambling to stay in La Liga; Getafe is playing for a Europa League berth. Daniel Parejo finished a dramatic 4-3 win last week over Sevilla with a penalty in extra time that he actually had to take twice.

If the on-field implications weren’t enough, take a look at the gaffers. Javier Clemente is up to his usual tricks: in four games since taking over for a languishing, all-but-gone Valladolid side, Clemente has led the team to two wins and two draws to pull within two points of safety. In those four matches, Valladolid has conceded one goal. Both draws were 0-0, just how Clemente likes it.

And this weekend, Clemente’s opposite number is Michel – the former Real Madrid winger whom Clemente dropped from the Spanish national side in 1992 after the two didn’t exactly see eye-to-eye. The relationship hasn’t exactly been patched up since.

Xerez-Almeria (Saturday, noon)

Giving-a-toss-ometer reading: 6

Xerez is rubbish, but making a rather miraculous run to stay in the first division. They gave Barcelona all it could handle at Camp Nou last weekend before falling, 3-1. To survive, it will absolutely have to win this one.

For the first two months of 2010, Almeria was one of the best sides in Spain, culminating in a 2-2 home draw against Barcelona March 6. Apparently deciding that was enough, Almeria hasn’t done much since, having gone winless in its last six. At 38 points, the club is just about assured survival. But the team that looked so lively with Albert Crusat and Pablo Piatti running the show in attack has returned to the drab outfit that we saw so much of in the first half of the season.

If nothing else, there is Xerez boss Nestor Gorosito’s amazing hair.

Deportivo-Zaragoza (Saturday, noon)

Giving-a-toss-ometer reading: 4

It’s all gone pear-shaped in Galicia. Deportivo, in the top six for so long, is bottoming out in a major way and doesn’t look likely to even finish in the top half. Miguel Angel Lotina did well to keep his side as high as it was, but there’s only so much you can do when you have no useful strikers.

Zaragoza is just two points from the relegation places, and was dealt a major blow last weekend with a shoulder injury to striker Humberto “El Chupete” Suazo. The Chilean was the driving force behind Zaragoza’s resurgence from the bottom of the table, and if he misses the rest of the season as expected, the Aragons could find themselves right back in the Segunda next season.

Espanyol-Valencia (Saturday, 2 p.m.)

Giving-a-toss-ometer reading: 2

Eight points ahead of fifth-place Sevilla, Valencia is pretty much in next year’s Champions League. Mauricio Pochettino, meanwhile, should have his own statue for getting Espanyol to mid-table. The side has scored the fewest goals in La Liga with 27, but has gotten through the season with an impressive defensive solidity.

Not that that makes for worthwhile viewing, necessarily.

Villarreal-Barcelona (Saturday, 4 p.m.)

Giving-a-toss-ometer: 9

There are two games left in the season that will determine the league champion. The first is this clash in El Madrigal, with the second being Real Madrid’s upcoming midweek trip to Mallorca.

First things first: does Barcelona have anything left for this one after its Champions League semifinal defeat to Inter Milan? Pep Guardiola will have his work cut out to lead his side to three necessary points against a Villarreal team storming up the table. After a horrendous start to the season, the Yellow Submarine can see a return to Europe at the end of the tunnel – maybe even a Champions League spot if it can win this weekend.

And then there’s the current reports of Barcelona’s supposed agreement to sign David Villa in the summer, with Bojan Krkic and 40 million euros going the other way. Villa was a lock to join Real Madrid last summer, too, so any transfer will have to be seen to be believed.

Sevilla-Atletico de Madrid (Sunday, 11 a.m.)

Giving-a-toss-ometer reading: 4

Expect Atletico to field an underwhelming side after going 120 minutes to knock off Liverpool Thursday and advance to the Europa League final. Incredibly, Atleti is just two matches away from winning more trophies this season than Barcelona and Real Madrid put together.

Sevilla can potentially overtake Mallorca for fourth place with a win, but will have to do so without Frederic Kanoute, who was sent off in the loss to Getafe last weekend. His likely replacement, Alvaro Negredo, is potentially playing himself out of a ticket to South Africa with some of his recent performances.

Still, Sevilla should have enough to win this preview of the Copa del Rey final. Of course, we know what usually happens this season when one expects Sevilla to win and Atletico to lose.

Real Madrid-Osasuna (Sunday, 1 p.m.)

Giving-a-toss-ometer reading: 3

Real Madrid will be without Raul and Rafael Van de Vaart, and Lass Diarra, Guti and Alvaro Arbeloa are question marks after missing training Friday.

Will it really matter? No.

Osasuna will do its best to make life difficult for Real, but Manuel Pellegrini’s side can sense a La Liga title and will have too much firepower to deal with at the Santiago Bernabeu, where it has taken the maximum points in all but one of 17 matches this season.

Athletic Bilbao-Mallorca (Sunday, 3 p.m.)

Giving-a-toss-ometer reading: 8

Mallorca has won just two matches away from home – only Tenerife, with one, has fewer (even Xerez and Malaga have two, and Racing somehow has five). Its players are also still owed almost half a season’s worth of wages. And yet Spain’s best manager this season, Gregorio Manzano, has his team four games away from a most improbable Champions League qualification.

The going is tough this weekend, though, as Athletic comes in with its own European aspirations. The Basques, just two points outside of the top six, haven’t scored in their last three matches. The last two have ended 0-0. With a typically raucous crowd behind it at San Mames, Athletic will be gung-ho to end that streak.

Barcelona – looking to become the first team to repeat as champions in Europe’s top club competition since AC Milan in 1989 and 1990 – is playing in its fourth semifinal in five seasons. Should the Catalans go on to win, it would be their third Champions League trophy in five years, having won it in 2006 and 2009 (along with their first title in 1992).

Inter, meanwhile, enter the semifinals having not won the competition since 1965, the golden days of the Helenio Herrera era. The nerazzurri haven’t reached a final since 1972, and more importantly, are looking to ultimately shake off the stigma of several recent disappointing European campaigns.

If any Inter can do that, it is this one.

Jose Mourinho has built a squad without any of the noticeable weaknesses past teams under Roberto Mancini had, and Inter is full of confidence. Last year’s team went out to Manchester United in the round of 16 because of a lack of creativity in midfield and limited options up front. Wesley Sneijder has more than taken care of the former, and Samuel Eto’o and Diego Milito have brought plenty of firepower up top.

Add to that the signing of central defender Lucio, and it was clear in August that Inter had a squad capable of getting to the Champions League final.

All that stands in its way now is Barcelona, who traveled to Milan on two buses due to the recent Icelandic volcano eruption disturbing air travel across most of Europe. The team stayed in Cannes overnight Sunday before finishing the trip to Italy.

“It’s not what we would wish for but there are plenty of teams in the second or third division who do this all the time,” manager Pep Guardiola said on Barcelona’s website. “It’s no use feeling sorry for yourself.”

As for on-the-field matters, Inter’s prime objective will be to keep a clean sheet. Mourinho would love to take a 1-0 result and put the impetus on Barcelona, rather than his side, to have to score in the return leg next Wednesday at Camp Nou.

One way to effectively do this would be to take Xavi out of the game, as Espanyol did so effectively in Saturday’s Catalan derby, a 0-0 draw. Limiting Xavi’s ability to create forces Lionel Messi to drop deeper and deeper to receive the ball, allowing Inter’s midfielders to join its defenders in taking the Argentine star out of the game – another tactic Espanyol used brilliantly Saturday.

The wild card in this scenario is Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who returned after two weeks out with a calf injury to play the final 10 minutes of Saturday’s game. Playing all 90 minutes seems unlikely, but the Swede gives Guardiola options if the first plan of attack doesn’t work, with his two second half goals against Arsenal three weeks ago a prime example.

In attack, Inter will hope Sneijder can combine with Eto’o, Milito and Goran Pandev to Barcelona’s defense. Inter struggled for goals in its most recent match, a 2-0 home win over Juventus. Juve was down to 10 men late in the first half, but it took a piece of individual brilliance from Maicon in the 75th minute to finally break a scoreless deadlock. Eto’o added Inter’s second in injury time.

Barcelona have kept three straight clean sheets since conceding early to Arsenal in the quarterfinal second leg, and if there’s one position where Barca may have a decided advantage, it’s at keeper. Julio Cesar has turned in a few dodgy performances of late for Inter, while Victor Valdes continues to be in the best form of his career.

Barcelona had the better of the teams’ two meetings in the group stage of this competition, outplaying Inter in a 0-0 draw at the San Siro and then taking a 2-0 win at Camp Nou. Mourinho admitted then and now that Barca was the better side then, but the Portuguese gaffer also says, correctly, that Inter is a different, better team now than it was several months ago.

After that 2-0 defeat, Mourinho said he would happily take a rematch in the semifinals. He got his wish, and two cracking games are sure to follow.

Of course, only four can. But the dream remains alive in eight cities across Europe; below, we take a look at how those dreams can become reality. We’ll start with the two games to be played Tuesday, followed by Wednesday’s matches (first leg results in parentheses).

Barcelona vs. Arsenal (2-2)

Why Barcelona can advance
The match is at the Camp Nou, where only two teams – Sevilla in the Copa del Rey and Rubin Kazan in the Champions League – have come away victorious in 22 competitive matches this season. No team has kept a clean sheet in any of those games, meaning Arsenal will likely have to score at least twice to advance.

The injury to Zlatan Ibrahimovic gives manager Pep Guardiola more diverse tactical options. Whether Thierry Henry to Bojan Krkic – scorer of two goals in Saturday’s 4-1 league win over Athletic Bilbao – take Ibrahimovic’s spot in the starting XI, expect Lionel Messi to play a more central role in Barcelona’s attack. There, he can use his speed to take on Thomas Vermaelen and likely central defense partner Sol Campbell, or draw those defenders away from goal to open up space for teammates.

Barcelona wins by dominating possession in midfield, and with Cesc Fabregas and Alex Song out injured for Arsenal, the Catalans’ advantage in that area of the pitch becomes that much more apparent. With the playmaking ability of Xavi and ball-winning ability of Sergio Busquets, Barca’s midfield unit has to be considered the better of the two, and Andres Iniesta returned to training for the first time in 10 days Monday.

Eric Abidal’s return at left back – he played the full 90 minutes there against Athletic – is a marked improvement from Maxwell to cope with Arsenal’s pace on the flanks.

Why Arsenal can advance
The Gunners have to figure they will get their share of chances against a depleted Barcelona defense. With Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique both suspended for the match, Gabi Milito figures to be joined by either Rafael Marquez or Yaya Toure in central defense. Nicklas Bendtner, with his combination of power and pace, is exactly the kind of striker that can give that back line problems.

Samir Nasri is a player very much in form for Arsenal, and his presence can neutralize the attacking potency of Barcelona’s fullbacks. Maxwell and Dani Alves were given free reign to go forward at will in the first leg, and Arsenal manager Arsene Wagner will no doubt make a tactical adjustment to avoid a repeat of that.

While Arsenal is also shorthanded, it has quality to call on form its reinforcements. The players most likely to fill holes created by injury – Campbell, Denilson, Tomas Rosicky, Emmanuel Eboue – are good players that have played in big matches before.

Beyond tactics and personnel, Arsenal has had that “team of destiny” feel to it lately. It fought back from a two-goal deficit in the first leg after all had seemed lost, and a Bendtner goal gave Arsenal a 1-0 win over a spirited Wolverhampton side Saturday in injury time to keep the club’s Premier League aspirations alive.

CSKA Moscow vs. Inter Milan (Inter leads, 1-0)

Why CSKA can advance
The Russians will certainly feel it within their grasp to overcome a one-goal deficit on their home pitch after a decent showing at the San Siro last Wednesday. Keeper Igor Akinfeev had a great game and the CSKA defense may not be facing a complete Inter attack, as Wesley Sneijder will be a game-time decision after injuring his ankle in Monday’s training session.

Sneijder is the catalyst for Inter and his injury could be a break for a CSKA side that likely needs to keep a clean sheet to have a chance of advancing.

Leonid Slutsky’s side has been in tougher spots than this in this year’s Champions League. It won 2-1 at Besiktas on the final day of group stage play to advance, and then went to Sevilla and took a 2-1 victory to get to the quarterfinals. This time, CSKA has its opponent at home on the turf pitch at Luzhniki Stadium.

Why Inter can advance
Manager Jose Mourinho knows a goal in Moscow will almost certainly be enough to guarantee passage to the semifinals. With or without Sneijder, there is enough talent in the side to get that goal.

Inter have the momentum of Saturday’s 3-0 Serie A win over Bologna to halt what had been a slump in form domestically. Mario Balotelli scored the second of those goals, and the young Italian offers another weapon off the bench should Samuel Eto’o, Diego Milito or Goran Pandev be found lacking Tuesday.

Of course, if Inter doesn’t concede a goal, it won’t matter whether they score one. Mourinho’s side will come to defend every bit as much as it will to attack, and it will do so against a depleted CSKA team, as midfielders Milos Krasic and Evgeni Aldonin are suspended after picking up yellow cards in the first leg.

Girondins Bordeaux vs. Olympique Lyonnais (Lyon leads, 3-1)

Why Bordeaux can advance
To take nothing away from Lyon, all three of its goals in the first leg stemmed from defensive errors by Bordeaux, and Laurent Blanc will be confident that won’t repeat itself. And with Lisandro Lopez – scorer of two of those three goals – suspended for the match, there will be less for the Bordeaux back line to contend with.

Bordeaux isn’t known for its attacking, which it will have to do to overcome a two-goal deficit. But Marouane Chamakh is a constant threat, as he showed in the first leg, scoring a goal and bringing two great saves out of Lyon keeper Hugo Lloris. With Yoann Gourcuff pulling the strings in the middle of the pitch and the dangerous Wendel and Yoann Gouffran on the flanks, there is enough ability to score goals.

Bordeaux will also welcome back midfielder Alou Diarra after he missed the first leg through suspension.

Why Lyon can advance
Quite simply, these are two teams going in two different directions. Lyon is one of the hottest teams in Europe, stemming from its upset of Real Madrid in the Champions League round of 16 to Saturday’s 2-1 win at Stade Rennes to vault itself to the top of the Ligue 1 table. Lyon has lost just one of its last 13 matches in all competitions.

Bordeaux, meanwhile, has won just twice in its last eight games, including Saturday’s 2-1 home loss to AS Nancy Lorraine.

Lopez may be out of the reckoning for Claude Puel, but Michel Bastos is capable of picking up the slack, having scored six goals in his last six appearances (including Lyon’s second in the first leg win). Lyon also saw the return of central defender Jean-Alain Boumsong Saturday.

Lyon has gotten the results it has needed throughout the competition, with Puel proving to be a shrewd tactician who can conjure up a winning game plan against a variety of opponents. Considering his familiarity with Bordeaux, Lyon supporters will believe he can do it again.

Manchester United vs. Bayern Munich (Bayern leads, 2-1)

Why United can advance
Old Trafford provides one of the biggest homefield advantages in Europe, and a less than fully fit Bayern will have to overcome that to hold onto its slim, albeit deserved, first leg advantage. United isn’t exactly a picture of good health at the moment, either, but the club has thrived on situations like this before.

Whether Wayne Rooney plays or not – United’s medical staff said Monday he has a “40 percent” chance of returning for Wednesday’s match – Sir Alex Ferguson will have faith in his players to score. Antonio Valencia, Saturday’s game against Chelsea notwithstanding, is having a fine season. Nani will be fresh after starting the Chelsea match on the bench, and Dimitar Berbatov is due to score a meaningful goal at some point (isn’t he?).

Bayern has questions of its own in defense, with Daniel van Buyten coming off after just 22 minutes of Saturday’s big 2-1 win at Schalke with a knee injury. And with the unpredictable Martin Demichelis in the running, anything is possible.

And on top of all that, United will have something to prove after its loss at home to Chelsea Saturday.

Why Bayern can advance
The fact that Rooney is being discussed at all as an option for Wednesday can be taken one of two ways. It could be a morale boost for a team that probably needs one. Or, it shows just how desperate the team has become. And even if Rooney does play just one week after an ankle injury that was supposed to keep him out for three, how much can he realistically give them?

One man that is returning with a slightly cleaner bill of health is Arjen Robben, who didn’t factor in Bayern’s 2-1 first leg victory. Louis van Gaal will also have Bastian Schweinsteiger at his disposal after the was suspended for last week’s match. That gives Bayern two more weapons against United defense that has looked slow, sloppy and disorganized lately.

Bayern is also very much the team on form after the weekend’s domestic results. Both teams played matches involving the top two teams in their respective leagues; United lost at home, Bayern won on the road. If that’s anything to go by, the Germans have the momentum to go into Manchester and get the draw they need to move on in the competition.

Both Manchester United and Arsenal lost pivotal players to injury this week during their Champions League quarterfinal clashes.

Wayne Rooney crutched his way out of the Allianz Arena after United’s 2-1 defeat to Bayern Munich on Tuesday. The England star twisted his ankle at the end of the match and had to be helped off the pitch by United’s medical staff. He later left the stadium with a protective boot on his foot.

The big fear was that he broke his ankle, but worry not, England supporters – a scan revealed that there was no fracture. But there was “minor ligament damage” according to the club, which will keep Rooney out for a few weeks.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed during a Friday press conference that Rooney will be sidelined for two to three weeks – adding that “the nation can stop praying!” Rooney is ruled out of the six-pointer against Chelsea this weekend, as well as United’s following few fixtures, including the second leg against Bayern Munich next week. With Rooney on the sidelines, Sir Alex Ferguson will be looking to Dimitar Berbatov and possibly 18-year-old Federico Macheda to provide the fireworks up front, though filling Rooney’s shoes is no easy task.

Arsenal had even worse news after their enthralling showdown with defending champs Barcelona. Captain Cesc Fabregas suffered a cracked fibula in his right leg and will now be out for around six weeks. The injury came when he was fouled by Barcelona captain Carles Puyol late in the match, which resulted in a penalty for Arsenal and a red card for Puyol. Fabregas kept his nerve and scored the penalty to level the tie at 2-2, but he was visibly struggling to run and walk afterward.

Fabregas is now essentially ruled out for the rest of the Premier League season, and he faces a fight to get fit in time to make Spain’s provisional World Cup squad, which will be announced by May 12th.

Despite Arsenal’s heroic comeback from 2-0 down, their squad took some big hits that will really stretch manager Arsene Wenger’s resources for the remainder of the season.

Adding to the loss of Fabregas, Andrei Arshavin and William Gallas suffered calf strains during the match, and both players are expected to be out for about three weeks. Defender Gael Clichy picked up a back injury and midfielder Denilson is struggling with a groin problem, so they could potentially be out for a week or so as well. Tackle on the already injured Aaron Ramsey, and Arsenal have a huge chunk of talent on the treatment table (sorry Arsenal fans, this is no April Fools’ joke). Wenger probably summed it up the best on the club website: “At the moment, we are like an army who have come back from a big battle.”

The Gunners are still very much in the title race, though, sitting in third place with a showdown between the top two coming this weekend. Injuries could yet again derail their season, but with Wayne Rooney facing a spell on the sidelines for United and Chelsea facing their own fitness problems, the title race could come down to whichever squad can get healthy.