MADRID, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- The second half of the season La Liga gets underway this weekend with Atletico Madrid looking to hold onto its slender lead at the top of the table, with Real Madrid in close pursuit and FC Barcelona hoping their form at the start of 2025 can help them close the gap.

Atletico makes a short visit to play Leganes on Saturday, with Diego Simeone's side fresh from an impressive 4-0 win away to Elche to assure its place in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey.

Leganes are well-organized side and also reached the last-eight of the Copa, but lack Atletico's firepower in attack, where Alexander Sorloth and Julian Alvarez are hitting peak form and Antoine Griezmann continues to be a class act.

Barcelona also plays on Saturday, with Hansi Flick's side's moral sky high after following up their 5-2 thrashing of Real Madrid in the Spanish Supercup, with a 5-1 win over Betis in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday night.

Flick has lost Inigo Martinez to a hamstring injury for a month, but Ronald Araujo looks to be back to his best after missing much of the season through injury, while Flick was able to rest Robert Lewandowski against Betis, with his side noting no ill-effects.

Getafe has started the year with two cup wins, while last weekend's 2-1 win away to Las Palmas slightly eased the pressure at the wrong end of the table.

Real Madrid has had a difficult few days following the Supercup and play a cup last-16 match at home to Celta on Thursday night, before hosting Las Palmas on Sunday.

Las Palmas has eased away from the relegation battle and doesn't have a cup game after a third-round defeat to Elche, but a team that beat Barcelona not long before Christmas can't be taken for granted.

The weekend kicks off with a vital relegation match as Espanyol hosts Valladolid, with the visitors confidence rising after they beat Betis a week ago to climb off the bottom of the table.

That defeat and Wednesday's heavy loss to FC Barcelona has increased the pressure on Betis coach Manuel Pellegrini, whose position could be in danger if his side fails to beat an Alaves side that has slipped to fourth from bottom of the table and hasn't won since November 1st.

Girona's form has improved in recent weeks and it is at home to Sevilla, who was shocked this week when central defender Kike Salas was detained for his alleged role in a betting scandal.

Athletic Club Bilbao has a six-point lead over Villarreal in fifth place ahead of its visit to play Celta Vigo. Celta is without injured forwards Iago Aspas and Alfon Gonzalez, but is usually reliable at home, while the visitors will hope to have top scorer Oihan Sancet fit again after a month out with a niggling ankle injury.

Osasuna needs to end a worrying seven-game run without a league win when it plays at home to Rayo Vallecano, who travels to Pamplona unbeaten in its last five league matches.

Valencia progressed to the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey on Tuesday, but the bottom of the table side needs to start picking up points fast, starting with Sunday's game at home to Real Sociedad.

This game could give Valencia loan striker Umar Sadiq the chance to face the side that has loaned him out, if Valencia opts to pay a 300,000 euro clause to allow him to do so.

The round of games ends on Monday with Villarreal at home to as fifth takes on sixth, with Villarreal at home to Mallorca. Enditem

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