SUNDAY 

ATLETICO MADRID 1-2 BARCELONA

Barcelona's back-from-the-dead title bid kicks of at the Calderon 

From moping about the house after a whopping loss to PSG and a dreadful win against lowly Leganes, Barcelona has opened the back door, felt the sweet, fresh air on their faces and changed out of the stinky, four-day-old dressing gown. That's what Real Madrid losing can do for the Catalan club whose title chances have now gone from 'mmmmmmnnhh' to 'mmmmhhh!' 

But the big catch though, is that to take advantage of Madrid's slip-up, Barcelona will need to beat Atletico Madrid in the Vicente Calderon. However, that is something that the Catalan club are fairly adept at, having managed it earlier in February in the Copa del Rey. Another factor in Barcelona's favor on Sunday - aside from the impossibility of the club playing any worse - is Atletico's exhortations in the Champions League in an overwhelming win over Bayer Leverkusen. 

On the other side of the fence, the game is completely lose-lose for Atletico. If the Rojiblancos win or draw, it could hand the title advantage back to the accursed Real Madrid. Lose and Atleti lose their footing in the top four fight. The match will be as unpredictable and wobbly as Fernando Torres in front of goal. 

MANCHESTER UNITED 3-2 SOUTHAMPTON

Mourinho looking for title number one with Manchester United

Yes, there is a flaw in the Can't Miss logic here, but it's one that can't be overcome either through the use of a Hermione Granger time turner or more realistically a tablet / smartphone / other fancy device as well as a traditional television. 

There is a wee bit of an overlap between the previous whopping encounter, and the next game which a top hat and tails is a pre-requisite as it is a Wembley final and the climax of the EFL Cup between Manchester United and Southampton.

If there is one thing that Jose Mourinho delights in, aside from baiting Arsene Wenger, it's lifting cups. For the Portuguese manager, it is a crucial way of building a winning mentality into a club. And that's what is needed at the Goliath of Manchester United who have had a fallow few years to say the least. 

From a wobbly start, Mourinho has kept the Old Trafford going in four separate competitions this season. The first of those could be wrapped up on Sunday, although Southampton are stubborn old foxes under the wily ways of Claude Puel who has a tight defense tacked on to a fast counter-attack now spearheaded by the incoming former Napoli forward Manolo Gabbiadini.  

If Mourinho is going to lift his first bit of silverware for Manchester United, then they are going to have to work for it. 

LA LIGA - Villarreal v Real Madrid: live on beIN SPORTS from 2:35PM ET / 11:35AM PT 

Basically, you are going to have the clear the whole day, by the looks of it. 

The reopened La Liga title race is placing Real Madrid onto a slide of suspicion and placed under the microscope of truth, especially if Barcelona pick up something positive from Atletico Madrid and move to the top of the table, all be it with two matches in hand. 

But that was by far from the plan for the league leaders who expected to expand their cushion at the top of the table with a win over Valencia on Wednesday, but failed to turn up for the first ten minutes in Mestalla - a setback from which Madrid could not respond.

Coach Zizou's men are away from home again on Sunday, just down the road from Valencia, at Villarreal - another ground that has traditionally been troublesome with only four wins in the past twelve visits to El Madrigal. A failure to make it five from 13, could see a steely dominance in Spain built up over several months crumbling in the matter of a week.