Granada

Tiago Cardoso Mendes Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone believes versatile midfielder Saul Niguez can help cover for the loss of the injured Tiago Mendes.

Sevilla Athletic Bilbao will be aiming for a sixth consecutive win in La Liga on Saturday when they visit Sevilla, who are confident of re-signing coach Unai Emery.

Valencia's UEFA Champions League hopes hit nervy ground on Thursday, while Espanyol returned to winning ways.

Real Madrid stayed top of La Liga as Espanyol won a five-goal thriller against Real Sociedad.

Atlético Madrid Diego Simeone is backing Fernando Torres to inspire an improvement in Atletico Madrid's recent form, starting with Sunday's trip to fellow high-flyers Valencia.

Barcelona Real Valladolid dented Barcelona's title bid with a 1-0 win, while Atletico Madrid have momentarily gone top after beating Celta Vigo 2-0.

Sergi Samper will continue his development away from Barcelona at Granada this season.

Rayo Vallecano The battle to avoid relegation takes centre stage this weekend as Rayo Vallecano host Almeria in a crucial match at the bottom of La Liga.