Barca has title in sight after strike lifted

Barcelona can round off a fine week by clinching its 23rd La Liga title and exacting revenge on Atletico Madrid for losing out in last season's title decider at the Vicente Calderon on Sunday.

A proposed players' strike had threatened the La Liga calendar this weekend but that threat was lifted on Thursday when Spain's National Court concluded a strike would "cause a serious organizational disorder" to the end of the league season.

Atletico won the league with a 1-1 draw the Camp Nou on May 17 last year and Barca can return the favor exactly a year later as long as it matches Real Madrid's result at Espanyol.

Luis Enrique's men remained on course for a treble by sealing their place in the Champions League final against Juventus early next month on Tuesday despite a first defeat in 19 games - 3-2 away at Bayern Munich - as the Catalans progressed 5-3 on aggregate.

"We are just one victory away in every competition from being champions," said Enrique.

"The feelings are very positive. It is a great moment but now we need to finish it off.

"The evaluation of the season will come at the end."

However, Atletico also has plenty to play for as it is one win away from sealing third place and therefore avoiding a tricky Champions League qualifier in August.

Fernando Torres came off the bench to score the equalizer in a 2-2 draw at Levante last weekend that guaranteed a top-four finish for Diego Simeone's men but insisted he does not want to see Barcelona celebrating at the Calderon on Sunday.

"I hope that they don't win it here. We hope to win the game and assure third place," he told the club's website.

"Atletico was champion last year in the Camp Nou and it is not that strange in soccer that destiny decides Barcelona has the chance to be champions in our stadium.

"That doesn't mean anything to us though because it is not our fight. We want to be third and achieve the objective we have."

Atletico's chances could be boosted by the absence of Barca striker Luis Suarez.

The Uruguayan set up both Barca's goals, scored by Neymar, at the Allianz Arena in midweek but had to be replaced at halftime with a hamstring problem and it unlikely to be risked with the Copa del Rey and Champions League finals less than a month away.

Real Madrid has to pick itself up from the bitter disappointment of losing its Champions League semifinal to Juventus in midweek if it is to have any chance of winning a major trophy this season.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti may have taken charge of his last game from the Madrid bench as he will serve a two-game touchline ban for its remaining Liga fixtures for sarcastically applauding the officials in last week's 2-2 draw at Valencia.

Defender Sergio Ramos is also expected to miss the rest of the season with a calf injury picked up against Juventus.

The battle for European places and to avoid relegation means that only four teams have nothing to play for with two games remaining.

Valencia can secure its return to Champions League soccer with victory at home to Celta Vigo.

Meanwhile, Malaga, Espanyol, Athletic Bilbao, Celta and Rayo Vallecano are separated by four points in the fight for seventh place, which would yield Europa League qualification if Barca beats Athletic in the Copa del Rey final.

At the bottom, Eibar, Deportivo la Coruna and Granada are all locked on 31 points with Almeria just one point ahead.