MADRID: Nilmar has vowed that Villarreal will go out and attack Barcelona when they meet on Sunday, as they seek to confirm their place in the fight for the championship.
There were complaints last season that the Spanish top flight had become a two-horse race between eventual champions Barca and runners-up Real Madrid, but so far this season Villarreal have managed to keep in touch.
Barcelona will be without the suspended Gerard Pique in the heart of defence but they have a forward line brimming with confidence, having scored eight goals in their last two matches.
Real have made their third best ever start to a league season under new coach Jose Mourinho and travel to Sporting Gijon with eight wins and two draws so far.
Espanyol are perhaps the surprise team of the season so far as they are riding high in a Champions League place ahead of Sunday’s trip to Racing Santander.
Valencia and Sevilla are tied together on 17 points after the latter came out on top when the two went head-to-head last Monday in a controversial game that turned on the dismissal of Valencia midfielder Mehmet Topal. Valencia now travel to Getafe, while Sevilla face a Real Zaragoza side who have moved off the bottom after their first win of the season.
Hercules host Real Sociedad in a battle of promoted teams, with the visitors in form and looking for their fourth successive win.
Former Real Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini takes charge of his first match with Malaga in a relegation battle against Levante.
It remains very tight at the bottom and Almeria, one point above Levante, face a tough trip to Athletic Bilbao.
Back-to-back wins have taken Deportivo la Coruna out of the bottom three and they meet Mallorca on Sunday, while, also in mid-table, Atletico Madrid take on Osasuna.
